Department for Business and Trade

Department for Business and Trade: Women

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of civil servants on temporary contracts in her Department are women.

Nigel Huddleston: Within the Department for Business and Trade there were 190 staff on Fixed Term or Temporary Contracts on 30 September 2023. 88 of the staff on Fixed Term or Temporary Contracts are women which is equal to 46.3%.

Department for Business and Trade: Women

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of FTE civil servants on pay band SCS2 in her Department are women.

Nigel Huddleston: On 30 September 2023 the Department for Business and Trade had 62.8 FTE of staff on pay band SCS2. 22.6 FTE on pay band SCS2 are women (36%).

Conditions of Employment

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to bring forward legislation to limit the length of post-termination non-compete clauses in (i) contracts of employment and (ii) limb (b) worker contracts to three months.

Kevin Hollinrake: On 10 May the Government announced that it will be introducing a statutory limit on the length of non-compete clauses of 3 months. This formed part of a wider policy paper, ‘Smarter regulation to grow the economy’, which focused on how we can improve regulation across the board to reduce burdens, push down the cost of living and drive economic growth. Introducing the statutory limit on the length of non-compete clauses of 3 months will require primary legislation and the Government will introduce this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Driving: Dispute Resolution

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Motor Ombudsman at helping motorists to (a) resolve disputes with and (b) obtain redress in disputes about vehicles.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Motor Ombudsman is a non-statutory ombudsman, set up as a voluntary scheme by the industry and independent of government. The Motor Ombudsman is accredited and regularly audited by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute against key principles including neutrality and effective complaints handling.The Motor Ombudsman's activities are documented in their annual reports, complying with the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015. These reports are accessible on its website.

Ferries: Scotland

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the UK subsidy control regime precludes financial support for a direct continental ferry service by the Scottish Government.

Kevin Hollinrake: The UK subsidy control regime is flexible and permissive. Subsidies are permitted provided that a public authority adheres to the legal process provided in the Act including the requirements of the UK's international obligations. The regime allows devolved administrations and local authorities to give subsidies that are tailored to local needs and drive economic growth. It is for individual public authorities to assess the consistency of any proposed subsidy with the regime. My officials stand ready to help all public authorities understand the regime.

Standard Individual Export Licences: China

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many standard individual export licenses were granted to UK university sponsored applications for proposed exports to China in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Nigel Huddleston: (a) 2 SIELs were granted to UK universities for proposed exports to China in 2020.(b) 2 SIELs were granted to UK universities for proposed exports to China in 2021.(c) 2 SIELs were granted to UK universities for proposed exports to China in 2022.

Arms Trade: China

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many times military end-use controls were applied to proposed exports to Chinese universities in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Nigel Huddleston: The military end-use controls did not apply to China until 19 May 2022. Military end-use controls were applied to proposed exports to Chinese universities 45 times in 2022.

Standard Individual Export Licences: China

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many standard individual export licenses were granted for proposed exports to Chinese universities in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Nigel Huddleston: (a) 238 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) were granted for proposed exports to Chinese universities in 2020.(b) 223 SIELs were granted for proposed exports to Chinese universities in 2021.(c) 125 SIELs were granted for proposed exports to Chinese universities in 2022.

Insolvency

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) introducing measures to hold company directors to account for businesses going into administration, (b) giving employees more security by way of secured creditor status in respect of redundancy payments and arrears of pay, (c) putting in place a statutory duty on insolvency practitioners to pay out outstanding wages and notice pay as the first duty when a company ceases to trade as a result of an insolvency.

Kevin Hollinrake: Measures to hold directors to account already exist. When a company enters administration, the administrator has a legal duty to report to the Insolvency Service on the directors’ conduct. The Insolvency Service may seek the directors’ disqualification where there is evidence of their misconduct, and it is in the public interest. Potential criminal offences are referred to the appropriate authority.To ensure fairness, the law requires that available funds in an insolvency are distributed in a certain order and Government has no current plans to change this.As part of their statutory duties, Insolvency Practitioners must provide necessary information to the Redundancy Payments Service to facilitate the processing of employee claims when their employer enters insolvency.The Government recently announced a strengthening of the Insolvency Practitioner regulatory framework aimed at increasing transparency and bolstering confidence in regulation.

Department of Health and Social Care

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with NHS England on the potential merits of supporting the British Society for Heart Failure-led multi-disciplinary 25in25 initiative.

Neil O'Brien: There have been no specific discussions with NHS England. Preventing cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart failure, is a priority for this government, which is why they are a key part of our upcoming Major Conditions Strategy. The NHS Health Check aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, and some cases of dementia among adults aged between 40 and 74 years old. The period between April and June this year saw the highest number of NHS Health Checks offered since the programme began in 2013, meaning more people than ever can reduce their CVD risk through the programme.

Prisoners: Speech and Language Disorders

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number and proportion of inmates who have a stammer in prisons in England and Wales.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prisoners: Speech and Language Therapy

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many inmates have (a) been assessed by and (b) received therapy from a speech and language therapist in each prison in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Malnutrition

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital admissions for malnutrition in England were there in the latest period for which data is available, broken down by age groups (a) 0-5 years, (b) 5-10 years, (c) 10-16 years and (d) over-16 years.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital admissions were there for (a) scurvy, (b) rickets and (c) vitamin D deficiency in England in the latest period for which data is available, broken down by age groups (i) 0-5 years, (ii) 5-10 years, (iii) 10-16 years and (iv) over-16 years.

Neil O'Brien: The following tables show activity in National Health Service hospitals and NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector in England. NHS England has provided a count of Finished Admission Episodes with a “primary” or “primary or secondary diagnosis” of scurvy, rickets, vitamin D deficiency and malnutrition by age group for 2022/23.  Primary DiagnosisPatient Age (years)ScurvyRicketsVitamin D DeficiencyMalnutrition0-412947125-93421810-1612602417 or over92752741 Primary or Secondary DiagnosisPatient Age (years)ScurvyRicketsVitamin D DeficiencyMalnutrition0-453172,052715-95301,7574510-165565,25115317 or over15177176,31710,301 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS England  The root causes of malnutrition may be clinical (for example disease-related), social and/or economic. These problems often interact in a complex cycle. Some health conditions can lead to malnutrition including eating disorders, although malnutrition itself is not an eating disorder.

Prisons: Speech and Language Therapy

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many speech and language therapists work in each prison in England and Wales as of 13 October 2023.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus and Influenza

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what stocks NHS England has of (a) covid-19 boosters, (b) covid-19 rapid tests, (c) N95 masks and (d) flu vaccines as of October 2023, in the context of preparations for winter 2023-24.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Kidney Diseases: Children

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recommendations of Kidney Research UK's recent report entitled Kidney Disease: a UK public health emergency, whether he plans to establish oversight of paediatric kidney care from kidney policymakers.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Kidney Diseases: Medical Treatments

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Kidney Research UK's recent report entitled Kidney Disease: a UK public health emergency, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the cost of kidney disease treatment to the NHS.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS Trusts: Buildings

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a list of NHS trusts that have indicated since May 2023 that they have possible reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) at any of their sites; and if he will outline which of those have since had the presence of RAAC visually confirmed.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Healthy Start Scheme

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of recipients of Healthy Start paper vouchers have not re-enrolled via the online registration system.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Concrete

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospitals outside of those included in the New Hospital Programme have been identified to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete; and whether his Department plans to fund emergency mitigation works to those hospitals.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Shortages

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the likely need to use serious shortage protocols in connection with potential challenges with HRT supply by the end of 2023.

Will Quince: There are over 70 hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, and the vast majority are in good supply. There have been issues with the supply of a limited number of HRT products, primarily due to very sharp increases in demand, but the supply position for most of those HRT products has improved considerably over the last year. Only one of the 23 Serious Shortage Protocols issued since April last year remain. We continue to engage with suppliers to address these issues and improve resilience in the short, medium, and long term. We are holding quarterly roundtables with manufacturers, wholesalers, and community pharmacists to monitor progress and agree what more needs to be done to help ensure supply is sufficient to meet demand.

Dementia: Lumbar Puncture

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Alzheimer’s Research UK’s report entitled Tipping Point: The Future of Dementia, what steps he is taking to increase the number of lumbar punctures conducted to help identify people who may be eligible for new dementia treatments.

Helen Whately: NHS England is monitoring the pipeline of prospective disease modifying treatments for early Alzheimer’s disease. NHS England is currently anticipating decisions on whether the first of these medicines will be licensed for use in the United Kingdom next year.A dedicated programme team has been established within NHS England for early Alzheimer’s treatments. The team is working closely with the medicines manufacturers, patient groups and other key stakeholders to prepare in advance for the roll out of any new medicines in the National Health Service as and when they secure the necessary regulatory approvals. This includes securing additional diagnostic capacity including magnetic resonance imaging, lumbar puncture and positron emission tomography/computed topography.

Dementia: Diagnosis

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to chapter 2 of the report entitled, Tipping Point: The Future of Dementia, published by Alzheimer’s Research UK in September 2023, whether he has considered the potential merits of taking steps to increase NHS capacity to diagnose dementia.

Helen Whately: In December 2022, the recovery of the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7% was included in the National Health Service priorities and operational planning guidance, as part of the refined mental health objectives for 2023/24. This reinforces the importance of dementia as a key priority for NHS England and provides a clear direction for integrated care boards to support delivery of timely diagnoses within systems.

Health Services: Equality

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities on the potential merits of prioritising identification of people who (a) are traditionally reluctant to engage with the health system and (b) may not be easily identifiable as a result of (i) poor health literacy, (ii) digital exclusion, (iii) multiple deprivation and (iv) inequalities conferred by ethnicity.

Neil O'Brien: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is an integral part of the Department. The consideration of inequalities is embedded across OHID and the Department’s work. Our approach will continue to focus on supporting people to live healthier lives, helping the NHS and social care to provide the best treatment and care for patients and tackling health disparities through national and system interventions such as the NHS England Core20PLUS5 programme.We have published our initial report ‘Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework’ which identifies the importance of tackling inequalities to improve health outcomes, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/major-conditions-strategy-case-for-change-and-our-strategic-framework/major-conditions-strategy-case-for-change-and-our-strategic-framework--2Core20PLUS5 is a national NHS England approach to inform action to reduce healthcare inequalities at both national and system level. The approach focuses on improving cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory, maternity, and mental health outcomes in the poorest 20 percent of the population, along with ethnic minorities and inclusion health groups. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/national-healthcare-inequalities-improvement-programme/core20plus5/The approach has now been adapted to apply to children and young people, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/national-healthcare-inequalities-improvement-programme/core20plus5/core20plus5-cyp/NHS England has recently published a framework for National Health Service action on digital inclusion to help NHS staff enable and encourage greater access to and improved experiences of healthcare, and increased adoption of digital approaches where that is appropriate. The framework can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/inclusive-digital-healthcare-a-framework-for-nhs-action-on-digital-inclusion/Inclusion health groups are also known to experience poor health literacy and digital exclusion. On 9 October NHS England also published its inclusion health framework to support the NHS to meet the needs of people in these groups. The framework can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/a-national-framework-for-nhs-action-on-inclusion-health/

Mental Health: Disclosure of Information

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with representatives of the devolved institutions on the potential merits of including policies on the sharing of information on mental health matters in the Major Conditions Strategy.

Will Quince: Mental Health is one of the six groups of conditions that are within the scope of the forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy (MCS).We have heard from a wide range of stakeholders, citizens and the National Health Service and their views are informing the development of the Strategy. This includes engagement at official level with the devolved governments which will continue throughout the process. There are no plans to hold separate discussions specifically on sharing of information on mental health in the context of the MCS.

Heart Diseases: Diagnosis

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of prioritising earlier detection of heart failure as part of the Major Conditions Strategy.

Will Quince: We have heard from a wide range of stakeholders, and their views are informing the development of the Major Conditions Strategy (MCS). This will include the responses we have received following the call for evidence.We are engaging across the conditions in the MCS rather than individually; therefore, specific conversations prioritising earlier detection of heart failure have not taken place.From April 2022, Primary Care Networks have been required to support earlier identification of heart failure and better management of cholesterol to prevent heart failure.

Haemochromatosis

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the scope of draft NICE guidelines on haemochromatosis with regards to (a) known forms of haemochromatosis and (b) pathogenic variants attributable to other genetic mutations associated with iron overload.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the reasons for which the drafting process for NICE guidelines on haemochromatosis was paused in April 2023.

Will Quince: The Department has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reviewed its guidelines portfolio in May 2023 to identify topics that it thinks will add the most value to the health and care system, considering key factors such as clinical benefit, cost effectiveness, the potential to increase productivity and support workforce issues and the potential to address health inequalities. As a result, NICE identified several topics, including the guidance on haemochromatosis, where work will stop for the time being to allow focus on key priorities. NICE consulted on the scope for the guideline on haemochromatosis in January 2023 but has not published the final scope.These topics will be reconsidered by NICE’s new Prioritisation Board that is being established by its Chief Medical Officer, and as work to establish the prioritisation board progresses, more information on timescales will become available. NICE will make further information available on its website once topics have been reprioritised.

Dementia: Diagnosis

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Alzheimer’s Research UK’s report entitled Tipping Point: The Future of Dementia, what steps his Department is taking to increase the proportion of people with a dementia diagnosis who are registered to be informed about dementia clinical trials.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 35 of the report Tipping Point: The Future of Dementia, published by Alzheimer’s Research UK in September 2023, whether his Department is taking steps to increase awareness among people with a dementia diagnosis about dementia (a) clinical trials and (b) other research.

Will Quince: Join Dementia Research (JDR), delivered by the Department via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer Scotland and Alzheimer’s Research UK, is our main tool for enabling people to register their interest in dementia research and be matched to trials. The goal is to improve participation and diversity in dementia research by making it possible for anyone who wants to be involved in dementia research to get the chance to do so.To increase the proportion of people with a dementia diagnosis in dementia clinical trials and other research and to increase awareness of opportunities to take part, the NIHR is undertaking several actions, including but not limited to: direct text messaging from general practitioners to patients at selected sites across England; establishing links with NHS Memory Services and other care networks to integrate discussion of JDR into their processes; working with the NHS Admiral Nurses to develop training materials to support healthcare professionals when discussing research with patients; and working to establish a national network of local JDR champions who will build on relationships with local organisations, charities and local groups representing under-represented communities to engage people with JDR.

NHS: Staff

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether annual budget allocations have been made for 2024-25 in relation to the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether funding for the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan is coming from his Department's existing budgets.

Will Quince: The Government is backing the plan with over £2.4 billion over the next five years to fund additional education and training places. This is on top of increases to education and training investment, reaching a record £6.1 billion over the next two years.The education and training budget for 2024-25 was set at the last Spending Review and the Government is working with NHS England to finalise the budget to make sure it reflects recent pay deals.

General Practitioners: Access

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish interim findings from surveys relating to access to GP services commissioned by the Government and NHS England following the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care.

Neil O'Brien: There are no plans to publish any interim survey findings on access to general practice. The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey conducted by the Office of National Statistics collects information on experience of general practitioner (GP) practice access in Great Britain and is published fortnightly. The annual GP Patient Survey measures patient experience in England more broadly, and results are typically published in July of each year.

Nicotine: Children

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to restrict the sale of high-strength nicotine pouches to people under 18.

Neil O'Brien: Prevalence of nicotine pouches remains low, and whilst there is currently no age of sale restrictions on nicotine pouches, manufacturers do print age restrictions on their packs.The UK Government and devolved administrations recently launched a consultation on our proposals for a smokefree generation. This includes whether the government should regulate other consumer nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, under a similar regulatory framework as nicotine vapes. The consultation can be viewed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping

Nurses: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

Mrs Paulette Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of General Practice Nurses.

Neil O'Brien: The Government has committed to increasing the primary care workforce. We are on track to reach 50,000 additional nurses, with over 46,000 more nurses in July 2023 compared with September 2019, including nurses in general practice. We are working to achieve the 50,000 nurses target by improving retention as well as by diversifying our training pipeline and ethically recruiting internationally. In July 2022, Chief Nursing Officer Ruth May and Em Wilkinson-Brice, National Director of People at NHS England, wrote to trusts to set out the principles and high impact actions that will support the retention of nurses and midwives. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out the ambition to increase adult nursing training places by 92%, taking the number of total places up to nearly 38,000 by 2031/32. To support this ambition, we will increase training places to nearly 28,000 in 2028/29.

GP Surgeries

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) strengthen the infrastructure of GP surgeries and (b) ensure that GP surgeries have the (i) space and (ii) capacity to train new GPs.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled Fit for the Future, published by the Royal College of General Practitioners in May 2023, whether he is taking steps to (a) increase the amount of space available for GP surgeries to operate in under current conditions and (b) secure additional space for training GPs in the future; and whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to increase the level of funding available for upgrading NHS premises.

Neil O'Brien: The Government has allocated over £4 billion annually in capital funding to systems to invest in maintaining the National Health Service estate and address safety issues. In addition, in our primary care recovery plan we committed to changing local authority planning guidance to raise the profile of primary care facilities when planners are considering how developer contributions and funds from new housing developments are allocated.We want general practitioners (GPs) to deliver the best quality of care to patients and will continue our work to assess what is needed to enable them to deliver services effectively in GP premises. As part of the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and the planned recruitment drive, we will consider the best use of GP premises to meet the needs of growing and ageing populations and the expanding healthcare teams needed to support them.

Smoking

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress he has made towards its target of an adult smoking prevalence of 5% or less by 2030.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it remains his Department's policy to reduce the prevalence of smoking among adults to 5% or less by 2030.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it remains the Government's policy to meet its smokefree 2030 target of an adult smoking prevalence of 5% or less.

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it remains the Government's policy to reduce the prevalence of adult smoking to 5% or less by 2030.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on reducing adult smoking rates to 5% or less in England by 2030.

Neil O'Brien: Smoking rates in England have been consistently falling and are currently at the lowest rate on record at 12.7%, based on 2022 data.The Government remains firmly committed to the ambition of England being Smokefree by 2030, namely a smoking prevalence of 5% or less, and recognises that progress must be accelerated to meet this bold ambition. On 4 October 2023, the Prime Minister unveiled plans to introduce a new law to stop children who turn 14 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, in a bid to create the first ‘smokefree generation’. This announcement was accompanied with additional funding including £70 million extra per year to fund local stop smoking services and £5 million this year and then £15 million per year thereafter to fund national stop smoking marketing campaigns.This is in addition to a range of other measures which we announced in April 2023. The measures included a new national swap to stop scheme to provide vapes to one million smokers to help them to quit, and an evidence-based financial incentives scheme to help all pregnant smokers to quit.We are confident that these new measures, in addition to the actions we are already taking, will set us on course to achieve our Smokefree 2030 ambition. We will continue to monitor progress.

Dentistry: Training

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the standards of training for dentistry students.

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the clinical experience dentists receive before becoming eligible to practise.

Neil O'Brien: The Government has no plans to review the standards of training for dentistry students. No assessment has been made of increasing the clinical experience dentists receive before becoming eligible to practice. The General Dental Council (GDC) is the independent regulator for dentists and dental care professionals in the United Kingdom. The GDC sets the standards of training and education required, including clinical placements, to gain entry to its register, and approves and inspects education and training providers.

General Practitioners: Portsmouth South

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to GP services in Portsmouth South constituency.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to (a) GP services and (b) dentistry services in Portsmouth South constituency.

Neil O'Brien: We recognise that despite the hard work of general practice teams, some patients are still struggling to access care in a timely way. That is why we have published our Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care. The plan has two central ambitions to improve access, both nationwide and in Portsmouth South: to tackle the 8am rush and reduce the number of people struggling to contact their practice; and for patients to know on the day they contact their practice how their request will be managed.We will achieve this by modernising telephone systems which can help practices to better match their capacity to patient demand, backed by £240 million in retargeted funding. All practices have now signed up to transition to new digital systems. The plan will empower patients to do more themselves, cutting bureaucracy for general practitioners and building capacity to deliver more appointments. We are investing at least £1.5 billion to create an additional 50 million general practice appointments by 2024 by increasing and diversifying the workforce.In July 2022 we announced a package of reforms to improve access to National Health Service dentistry, which outlined the steps we are taking to meet oral health need and increase access to dental care. The changes that have been implemented include improvements to ensure dentists are remunerated more fairly for more complex work. We expect to publish our Dental Recovery Plan shortly for further reform to make improvements.

Smoking

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's Written Statement of 11 April 2023, on Achieving Smokefree 2030: cutting smoking and stopping kids vaping, HCWS710, what modelling his Department has done of how the steps outlined in that Statement will help bring smoking rates down to 5% or less in England by 2030.

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 11 April 2023 on Achieving Smokefree 2030: cutting smoking and stopping kids vaping, HCWS710, what modelling his Department has undertaken on how the steps outlined in that statement will help bring smoking rates down to 5% or less in England by 2030.

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 April 2023 on Achieving Smokefree 2030: cutting smoking and stopping kids vaping, HCWS710, whether his Department has made an assessment of modelling on the potential effectiveness of each of the proposed steps in helping reduce smoking rates to 5% or less by 2030.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 April 2023 on Achieving Smokefree 2030: cutting smoking and stopping kids vaping, HCWS710, what modelling his Department has conducted on the impact the steps outlined in that Statement will have on efforts to reduce smoking rates to 5% or less in England by 2030.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 April 2023, HCWS710, on Achieving Smokefree 2030: cutting smoking and stopping kids vaping, whether his Department has conducted modelling on the potential impact of the measures outlined in the statement on progress towards the target of reducing smoking rates to 5% or less by 2030.

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 April 2023, HCWS710, on Achieving Smokefree 2030: cutting smoking and stopping kids vaping, whether his Department has conducted modelling on the potential impact of the measures outlined in that statement on progress towards the target of reducing smoking rates to 5% or less by 2030.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what modelling his Department has conducted to estimate that the steps outlined in the Minister for Primary Care and Public Health's Written Statement of 11 April 2023 on Achieving Smokefree 2030: cutting smoking and stopping kids vaping, UIN HCWS710, will help reduce smoking rates to 5% or less in England by 2030.

Neil O'Brien: Annex 1 of ‘Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation’ sets out the modelling used to forecast changes in smoking prevalence over time based on legislating for a smokefree generation. This modelling is preliminary and will continue to be further refined ahead of publication of a full impact assessment.Annex 1 is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stopping-the-start-our-new-plan-to-create-a-smokefree-generation/annex-1-modelling-assumptions

Mental Health Services: Telephone Services

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with colleagues at NHS England on the potential merits of setting up a national NHS Mental Health Emergency Helpline.

Maria Caulfield: We are working towards making emergency mental health support available through NHS111 across England by April 2024. Linking the urgent mental health helplines that are already available in all areas of the country 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through to NHS111 will provide a consistent route for people to access support.

Cancer: Children and Young People

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to clinical trials for young cancer patients.

Will Quince: The Government has taken steps to improve the delivery of clinical trials in the United Kingdom, including those researching preventative and therapeutic interventions for young cancer patients. This includes increased funding for clinical research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) which supports and funds clinical trials in the UK; entering an innovative partnership with Moderna to explore the potential of mRNA as a breakthrough technology for cancer; and establishing the Cancer Mission, with £22.5 million committed to the research and development of new immune-based cancer therapies and swifter diagnostics.The NIHR has a dedicated Clinical Research Network that helps promote and facilitate patient access to clinical trials, including an online service called 'Be Part of Research'. ‘Be Part of Research’ promotes public participation in health and social care research by allowing users to search for relevant studies and register their interest.

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with NHS England on the adequacy of guidance issued to patients with severe and enduring eating disorders.

Maria Caulfield: No such recent discussions have been held. NHS England continues to work with systems and healthcare professionals to support the adoption of guidance from the Royal College of Psychiatrists on medical emergencies in eating disorders. This guidance includes severe or enduring eating disorders.

NHS: Infrastructure and Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person, published on 26 July 2023, if he will make an estimate of NHS (a) staffing and (b) capital infrastructure requirements for implementing the proposals set out in that policy paper until 31 October 2023.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person, published on 26 July 2023, if he will make an assessment of the (a) potential impact of people not being attended to by the police and (b) adequacy of staff powers to support their patient under Sections 135 and 136 on the number of people in a mental health crisis that (i) an ambulance is called for and (ii) are admitted at accident and emergency departments.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person, published 26 July 2023, what assessment he has made of the potential role of the voluntary and community sector in supporting integrated care boards (ICBs) with tackling mental health challenges in the community; and if he will take steps to ensure that ICBs consult that sector on the design and implementation of the Right Care, Right Person agreement.

Maria Caulfield: Information provided by integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities on the implementation of Right Care, Right Person and local partnership working is currently being analysed. This information will be used to identify any implementation challenges that exist across local areas, including resources. The Right Care, Right Person approach and threshold for police response to a mental health-related incident, does not change the police’s role under the Mental Health Act 1983. The police will continue to utilise specific powers under the Mental Health Act legislation and be involved in incidents where there is a real and immediate risk to life or serious harm or responding to a report of crime. This means that the Right Care, Right Person threshold will not affect the police’s discretion to respond to an incident under their section 136 powers and partnership arrangements governing police involvement at pre-planned interventions will continue to be managed at a local level, for example, police attendance at section 135 warrants. Working with the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Care will monitor and evaluate the implementation of Right Care, Right Person and its implications for National Health Service staff and service users. It will be for individual ICBs to determine the role that the voluntary and community sector might play in the implementation of Right Care, Right Person in their area.

Draft Mental Health Bill

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill's Report entitled Draft Mental Health Bill 2022, published on 19 January 2023, HC 696.

Maria Caulfield: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Shipley on 5 September 2023 to Question 195933.

Endometriosis: Diagnosis

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the average time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis for people with endometriosis.

Maria Caulfield: The Women’s Health Strategy sets out our ambition for improving care for women and girls with endometriosis, with a reduced diagnosis time for those with severe endometriosis. We are investing £25 million in women’s health hubs, so that women can get better access to care for menstrual problems, including for women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.Through the NHS Delivery Plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care we are increasing activity through dedicated and protected surgical hubs that conduct planned procedures only. Surgical hubs are focusing on providing high-volume low-complexity surgery such as laparoscopies for suspected endometriosis. Endometriosis can only be definitively diagnosed through a laparoscopy under general anaesthetic, and so for women with less severe endometriosis it may be more appropriate to treat symptoms of endometriosis with a presumed diagnosis rather than with a definitive diagnosis, avoiding the need for an invasive procedure.

Mental Health Services: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS long-term plan, what the Barnett consequentials for Norther Ireland are of the additional funding for mental health services.

Maria Caulfield: The Barnett consequentials of the funding settlement underpinning the development of the NHS Long Term Plan were set out on 18 June 2018 in a press release on the subject, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-out-5-year-nhs-funding-plan Funding to be spent on mental health is not identified separately. It would be for NHS England and each devolved administration to make their own decisions on funding for mental health services.

Vaccination

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 4 April 2019 to Question 238305 on Vaccination, what advice the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation Healthcare Associated Infections Working Group provided on the development of better tools to estimate and quantify the potential impact of vaccines in reducing the long-term burden of antimicrobial resistance; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Caulfield: Advice on the development of better tools to estimate and quantify the potential impact of vaccines in reducing the long-term burden of antimicrobial resistance has not been provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation Healthcare Associated Infections Working Group.The Healthcare Associated Infections Working Group was formed and met in 2018 and 2019. The Working Group, or an equivalent, will be reconvened in due course once relevant vaccines progress through the vaccine pipeline.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of ADHD medication.

Will Quince: We are aware of supply issues affecting medicines used for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We have issued communications, in the form of a National Patient Safety Alert, to the National Health Service to advise healthcare professionals on management of patients during this time. We continue to work closely with manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible and to ensure patients have continuous access to ADHD medicines in the United Kingdom.

NHS: Agency Workers

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS bank staff receive non-consolidated payments as part of the NHS pay deal in England.

Will Quince: Many National Health Service bank staff who are directly employed on the Agenda for Change contract (for example, permanent or fixed term contracts), and who undertake additional shifts through an NHS bank, will already be eligible for the non-consolidated payments agreed with the NHS Staff Council. Some will be employed exclusively on locally managed contracts (for example, Bank contracts), and thus it will be for individual employers to determine the pay and conditions for those members of staff.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Israel: Saudi Arabia

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to progress Israel-Saudi Arabia normalisation talks.

David Rutley: The UK continues to support diplomatic efforts to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The UK is a firm supporter of Israel's normalisation agreements, including the Abraham Accords. We continue to encourage close regional cooperation in order to tackle regional challenges and we encourage those countries with whom Israel does not yet have diplomatic relations to recognise the economic, cultural and security benefits of cooperation with Israel.

Overseas Students: Afghanistan

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure the safety of Afghan Chevening scholars after the conclusion of their studies in the UK.

Leo Docherty: Our Chevening scheme for Afghanistan requires that applicants have resident status in a third country and that they are able to leave the UK at the end of their studies.The FCDO can provide letters of consent to scholars in the UK who have completed their studies and whose visas in other countries have expired, allowing them to apply for another UK visa, exempting them from the normal requirement to leave the UK on completion of study, given the situation in Afghanistan.

Iraq: Prisoners

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the proposed amnesty law in Iraq that could result in Daesh members who have been convicted of (a) genocide against Yazidi people and (b) other crimes being freed from detention.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterparts in Iraq on the potential effects of the proposed amnesty law that could result in Daesh members who have been convicted of (a) genocide against the Yazidi people and (b) other crimes being freed from detention.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK Daesh fighters (a) are currently serving criminal sentences and (b) may be freed if the proposed amnesty law for Daesh fighters is implemented in Iraq.

David Rutley: The UK continues to support survivor and minority communities who suffered immense atrocities under Daesh. As members of the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh, we will continue to work with Iraq in order to ensure that Daesh cannot re-emerge. Together with our international partners we will continue holding Daesh accountable for their crimes and bringing them to justice. We are not able to comment on any individual investigations. We are monitoring the proposed amnesty bill, which has not been finalised or passed in to law.

Alaa Abdel Fattah

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when a Minister last raised the case of Alaa abd el-Fattah with the Egyptian Government; and what steps his Department is taking to secure Mr el-Fattah's release.

David Rutley: Ministers and officials continue to raise Mr El-Fattah's case at the highest levels with the Egyptian Government and have been consistently clear in our calls for his release, whilst continuing to press the need for urgent consular access.The Foreign Secretary has raised Mr El-Fattah's case on several occasions with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry, most recently on 18 September. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, continues to raise his case with the Egyptian Ambassador and with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry.

Iraq: Press Freedom

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the (a) Kurdistan Regional Government and (b) Government of Iraq on (i) the imprisonment of Kurdish journalists Sherwan Sherwani and Guhdar Zebarito and (b) levels of press freedom in those regions.

David Rutley: The UK Government remains committed to pressing the case for improvements in the human rights situation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and to advocating for human rights for all, including in relation to freedom of expression and the freedom for journalists to do their jobs free from harm. The UK Government, through our Consulate General in Erbil, takes a close interest in the treatment of journalists and human rights activists in the KRI, and we are closely monitoring the cases of Sherwan Sherwani and Guhdar Zebari. We have raised our issues about the case of Guhdar Zebari in public and in private with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) at the highest levels, and a representative from the British Consulate General attended his trial. We have always been clear that journalists and political activists should be free to operate without undue interference from security forces or fear of indefinite detention.

Israel: British Nationals Abroad

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) establish and (b) help ensure the safety of UK nationals in Israel.

David Rutley: The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority and we urge everyone to continue to follow our travel advice which is kept under continual review. We are working around the clock to support British Nationals wishing to leave and remain committed to assisting their safe passage out of the country. The government has facilitated a number of commercial flights from Tel Aviv to the UK to help British nationals wanting to leave Israel. The Royal Air Force was also instrumental in evacuating British nationals from Israel. British nationals who want to leave Gaza and can do so safely are advised to check the status of the Rafah crossing into Egypt. We are advising all British nationals currently in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Gaza, to register your presence with the FCDO.https://www.register.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/israel-20231009/tell-the-uk-government-youre-in-israel-or-the-occupied-palestinian-territories

Israel: Administration of Justice

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Government of Israel on the protests against that Government's proposed judicial reforms.

David Rutley: The Prime Minister made clear the importance of upholding the shared democratic values that underpin our relationship, including in relation to the proposed judicial reforms in Israel during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 24 March in London. The Foreign Secretary also raised judicial reform and the importance of seeking consensus on this sensitive issue with Mr Netanyahu and the Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, during his visit to Israel on 11-13 September. The UK enjoys a deep and historic relationship with Israel and we continue to urge all parties to ensure that a robust system of checks and balances, and the independence of Israel's judiciary, are preserved.

China: Military Exercises

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with regional partners on Chinese naval exercises in the Pacific.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK maintains open channels of communication with partners in the region to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. We are committed to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to freedom of navigation and overflight; and we are deepening our cooperation with our friends and partners in the Indo-Pacific.

China: Academic Technology Approval Scheme

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Academic Technology Approval Scheme applications made by Chinese nationals were rejected in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022 and (d) 2023 to date.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is a country-agnostic counter-proliferation tool which seeks to ensure that universities do not facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology relating to advanced conventional military technology, weapon of mass destruction (WMD) or their means of delivery. Because of the country-agnostic nature of the scheme, HMG does not publish data on ATAS decisions by country. However, we publish data for the scheme as a whole in the Strategic Export Controls Annual Reports.

Thailand: British Nationals Abroad

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2023 to Question 196981 on Thailand: British Nationals Abroad, if she will publish raw, redacted data on unexplained deaths in Thailand in 2022 to enable analysis of the regions in which those deaths occurred.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: In 2022, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provided consular assistance in 154 new cases in Thailand following a death where the circumstances were recorded as unknown in our case management system.Our current case management system does not enable us to filter by regions within Thailand. However, in some cases the location of the incident is recorded. In 2022 of the 154 unknown deaths fewer than 5 case locations were recorded where the reason of death was unknown. Where our data refers to five cases or fewer we do not provide a breakdown so as to prevent the identification of individuals and their personal data, in this case to protect the bereaved families.It is not mandatory for UK nationals to report incidents to the FCDO, or one of its diplomatic missions. The data we provide only cover incidents where we have offered consular assistance following initial triage. The FCDO publishes consular data where a breakdown by country and assistance case type can be found on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/consular-data.

Members: Correspondence

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 28 July 2023, reference AK59834, from the hon. Member for Manchester Gorton.

Leo Docherty: I [Leo Docherty], as Minister for Europe, responded to the correspondence case AK59834 of 28 July 2023 on 2 October.

India: Violence

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of India about recent attacks on (a) Christians in Manipur and (b) Muslims and Dalits elsewhere in India.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The British High Commission in New Delhi consistently monitors human rights across India including attacks on religious minorities and others. The UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India, and we discuss all elements of our relationship, including human rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), and raise issues where we have them. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, raised human rights and the situation in Manipur, with the Indian Government during his visit to India in May. He also met representatives of diverse faith groups.

India: Human Rights

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps with international counterparts to help tackle reported human rights abuses in Manipur.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Our diplomatic network in India closely follows reports of violence in the state of Manipur. We remain committed to championing human rights around the world and we work with the UN, OSCE (The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), Council of Europe, G7 and other multilateral fora to promote Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB). The UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India and we discuss all elements of our relationship, including issues where we have them. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, raised the current situation in Manipur with the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs during his visit to India in May.

Pakistan: Churches

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Pakistani counterparts on the burning of churches in Jaranwala.

Leo Docherty: The UK strongly condemns violence against Christians in Pakistan. Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), including for minority communities, remains central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. The Foreign Secretary raised the persecution of religious communities, including recent attacks against the Christian community in Jaranwala, with Pakistan's Prime Minister, Anwaral Haq Kakar on 25 September. On 21 August, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia wrote to Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, urging the Government to ensure the safety of the Christian community following the attacks in Jaranwala. Lord Ahmad also raised the issue with Foreign Minister Jilani when they met on 13 September and in his meeting with the Pakistani High Commissioner on 6 September.

Pakistan: Women

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect the human rights of women in Pakistan.

Leo Docherty: Protecting women's rights is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. We continue to urge the government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan, particularly the most vulnerable, including women, minorities and children, as laid down in the Constitution of Pakistan and in accordance with international standards. In parallel, UK programme funds are helping to address gender based violence by raising awareness of early and forced marriages and making digital spaces safer for women. The British High Commission in Islamabad will continue to support civil society and NGOs in lobbying the Government of Pakistan to honour in practice its international commitments.

Imran Khan

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Pakistan on the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Leo Docherty: The UK does not comment or interfere with judicial cases in Pakistan, they are a matter for Pakistan's legal system. The UK has a close and longstanding relationship with Pakistan. We support democratic principles and adherence to the rule of law. In a letter to caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani on 21 August, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, impressed the need for Pakistan's citizens to be able to exercise their democratic rights and participate in peaceful, inclusive, credible elections.

Nnamdi Kanu

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Nigerian counterpart on the release of British national Nnamdi Kanu, in the context of the Human Rights Council publication entitled Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its ninety-third session, 30 March–8 April 2022, published on 17 August 2022.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Opinion No. 25/2022 of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The British Government takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously. Ministers and officials have raised Nnamdi Kanu's case with the Nigerian authorities on multiple occasions. The Foreign Secretary last raised his case with the then Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama on 14 March 2023 and the British High Commissioner with current Foreign Minister Tuggar on 3 October 2023. FCDO officials continue to be in regular contact with representatives of Mr Kanu in the United Kingdom and in Nigeria. The Foreign Secretary continues to take the steps he considers most effective to support Nnamdi Kanu's welfare and keeps these under review.

Africa: China

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in Africa on sustainability and Chinese-led development projects in Africa.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: China's engagement with African countries has had a significant impact across the continent, contributing to growth and economic development. However, elements of China's activities have raised issues including around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, transparency and accountability, and the handling of debt issues.

Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo and Abdul Rahman Juma

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on that country’s recent sanctioning of Abdelrahim Dagalo and Abdul Rahman Juma; and whether he is taking steps to coordinate sanctions with the US.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We remain in close contact with our international partners, including the US, regarding the situation in Sudan. We note the recent sanctions by the US on Abdelrahim Dagalo and Abul Rahman. In July, the Minister for Development and Africa announced a package of six sanctions, freezing the assets of commercial entities linked to both SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) and RSF (Rapid Support Forces). We call on our international partners to join us in taking action to target the warring parties' access to funding and arms. Our measures are aimed at pressing the parties driving the conflict to engage in a sustained and meaningful peace process, stop blocking life-saving humanitarian aid into Sudan, and end the violence and atrocities. We will take further steps, as necessary, to end the violence across Sudan, secure humanitarian access and ensure the protection of civilians.

Nigeria: Christianity

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety of Christians in Nigeria from persecution.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Rising insecurity has impeded on the rights of people of all faiths in Nigeria. The UK supports Nigeria to deliver on its constitutional commitment to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) through our development programming and security cooperation. We have funded peacebuilding projects to build dialogue between religious groups and, in April 2023, launched the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme to help Nigeria tackle the causes of intercommunal conflict. Through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we provide training to the Nigerian police and military on tackling terrorism and serious crime.

Home Office

Detention Centres: Restraint Techniques

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of (a) use, (b) misuse and (c) unlawful use of force have been recorded on the immigration detention estate in the last 12 months; and for what reason force was used in each incident.

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) prevent the (i) misuse and (ii) unlawful use of force against people held in detention under immigration powers; and what steps she is taking to ensure that there is adequate (A) scrutiny of and (B) transparency on the use of force in such cases.

Robert Jenrick: The welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance. We will accept nothing but the highest standards from companies employed to manage the immigration removal estate.Published guidance, and the training received by detainee custody officers (DCOs) makes it clear that physical force and restraint equipment should only be used after a thorough assessment of risk, and in consideration of each individual’s personal circumstances. Where restraints are used, they are removed at the earliest opportunity.The Home Office reviews all reports resulting from a use of force to identify trends, ensure that techniques are used proportionally, are justified, and are used for the minimum period required.All escort DCOs are fully trained in HOMES techniques (Home Office Manual for Escorting Safely) and custodial DCOs are trained in Control and Restraint (C&R). Quarterly transparency data on the number of use of force incidents using HOMES techniques and the number of use of force incidents where HOMES equipment was used can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-Q2-2023. The Home Office does not publish C&R data.

Asylum

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the (a) geographic spread of asylum cases in the legacy backlog and (b) potential effect on local authorities of delivering decisions on all of those cases by the end of 2023.

Robert Jenrick: We are ensuring our cross government partners, such as the (DWP) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) are sighted on data to enable them to consider the impacts of increased decision making and effectively plan. We are also working with DLUHC to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.Data on the geographic spread of asylum seekers in receipt of support (both legacy and flow cases) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Police National Database

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many custody images of people who have not been convicted of a crime are stored in the Police National Database.

Chris Philp: The Police National Database (PND) hold custody records, including facial images, that are a copy of custody records held by forces. It does not process these records and has no mechanism to identify which custody records progressed to conviction or ‘No Further Action’ on the local force system as it does not hold information of how offences are subsequently disposed (this information resides on PNC, but not PND).College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice sets our the basis upon which Police Forces retain custody images, which individual Forces then apply locally.

Asylum: Hotels

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Novotel in Ipswich being taken over by her Department on (a) tourism in Ipswich and (b) the local economy.

Robert Jenrick: For the safety of asylum seekers and staff in the hotels the Home Office does not publicly comment on individual hotels which may or may not be utilised.The Home Office recognises the strain that local authorities, are facing at this time and the challenges that hotel accommodation brings. We are committed to work with local authorities through our multi-agency meetings to ensure sites are successfully managed and the impact on the local communities is minimised.The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer. This is why we are delivering a range of alternative accommodation sites, maximising hotel space, operationalising the Illegal Migration Act and continuing our hard work to clear the asylum backlog by the end of 2023.

Home Office: Public Expenditure

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria her Department uses for designating whether reporting of departmental expenditure is commercially sensitive.

Chris Philp: The criteria to publish Transparency spend for is set by referring to the HM Treasury guidance, please see the link Guidance for publishing spend over £25,000 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Within the HM Treasury guidance, please refer to the section on Redactions (2.14) whereby Departments will decide using this guidance whether they chose to publish or not.In the case where a Department fails to submit a return they are automatically redacted from Publication. This ensures that we do not publish commercially sensitive spend.To note also that expenditure information is withheld if disclosure is likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any legal person, including the Crown. We balance this with the public interest test in transparency of expenditure data.

Hamas: Prosecutions

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prosecuted for belonging and professing to belong to Hamas since that group was proscribed.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government takes proscription offences seriously. Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations or individuals who may be members of proscribed organisations are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies.The Government publishes quarterly national statistics on the use of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent relevant legislation in Great Britain. This includes information on arrests, charges and convictions for proscription offences. The most recent publication up to year ending March 2023, was published on 08 June on GOV.UK: Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes, and stop and search, Great Britain, quarterly update to March 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Bicycles: Security

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to help ensure that bike owners security code their bicycles.

Chris Philp: Property marking and registration make it easier to prove ownership if a bicycle is stolen, and easier for the police to return recovered property to the rightful owner. There are a number of property marking schemes available for the public to use; there are currently no plans to mandate this or ensure that bike owners security code their bicycles.The Department for Transport and Active Travel England are working with the police-led National Cycle Crime Group to support regional cycle crime enforcement partnerships and raise awareness of better security, especially around effective ways for people to secure their cycles.

Drugs: Research

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the Drugs and Firearms Licensing Unit held discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care on ensuring that appropriate conditions are being met for the accurate quantification of controlled substances used for scientific and medical purposes in the last 12 months.

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what quantity of controlled narcotic drugs her Department has estimated was necessary to enable legitimate scientific and medical use in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023; and what proportion of such drugs was (i) cannabis for medical use and (ii) imported in each year.

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate the Drugs and Firearms Licensing Unit has submitted to the International Narcotics Control Board of the quantity of illicit controlled drugs to be consumed for medical and scientific purposes in each of the last three years.

Chris Philp: The Home Office Drugs and Firearms Licensing Unit (DFLU) enables, through delivery of its licensing functions the lawful use of controlled drugs in the United Kingdom, including internationally controlled narcotic substances. DFLU’s regulatory function does not cover illicit drug use.UK ‘anticipated needs’ (estimates) of individual drug substances are given in base drug quantities- or the amount of ‘active ingredient’ contained in a raw material, substance or product. Estimated needs of specific medicinal products are not provided to the INCB. Initial estimates are submitted to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) by 30 June each year, for the next calendar year; these are subject to regular review and a process exists for ‘in year’ variations to be requested if there is a demonstrable need for this to be increased. Similarly, adjustments can be made by the INCB in the course of processing Annual Returns information.Estimates are primarily based on previous years actual ‘use’, which will include domestic production and imports, factoring in UK patient needs and global requirements where a product is to be exported. This information is provided to DFLU by their licensees as part of the ‘Annual Returns’ process. Regular discussions between the Home Office DFLU and officials in the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) occur whereby any shortfalls in our estimates can be raised as needed. This recognises that patient-ready medication is only a component of the estimates submitted.Estimates, confirmed by the INCB for the calendar year 2023 (for all internationally controlled narcotic drugs) are available at Microsoft Word - EstAug (incb.org). Copies of the previously published INCB issued ‘confirmed estimates’ from January 2022, December 2022 and January 2023 have been placed in the House library.DFLU did not have to request uplifts for the substance cannabis in either 2022 or 2023 (year to date) as the confirmed estimates adequately met UK needs.In 2022 a total of 7,762 Kg of cannabis (in base drug form) was imported. Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal use in Humans (CBPMs), in the form of flos (flower) are included in this.In 2023 a total of 23,890 Kg cannabis (in base drug form) has been confirmed as imported, as of 19 September 2023. Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal use in Humans (CBPMs), in the form of flos (flower) are included in this.

Speed Limits: Wales

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the operational capacity of the Welsh police forces to enforce 20mph speed limits; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Philp: Enforcement of 20mph speed limits and deployment of available resources is an operational matter for individual Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to determine, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.

Police: Standards

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) time taken for the police to respond to a reported incident procedures and (b) the effectiveness of that response.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to require police forces to collect any available (a) body cam, (b) CCTV and (c) other digital evidence when a crime is reported.

Chris Philp: Chief Constables are responsible for determining the allocation of resources for operational policing and managing their response times, in line with the priorities set out by their Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). As the locally elected representative for policing, PCCs are responsible for holding their Chief to account for their performance.His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services regularly inspects forces’ performance and makes recommendations for improvement where necessary. On 7th July HMICFRS published “Police performance: Getting a grip” which included recommendations on responding to the public. We expect Chief Constables to ensure that appropriate action is taken within their force to address these recommendations, progress against which is monitored by the Inspectorate.The public want to see police taking visible action in communities, being responsive, and thoroughly investigating crime. On 28 August, the Home Secretary announced that police forces across England and Wales have committed to pursuing all leads where there is a reasonable chance it could result in catching a perpetrator and solving a crime. New guidance from the College of Policing provides clear direction on applying a consistent standard of service to have the greatest chance of securing a positive outcome for a victim.Operational decisions are a matter for individual police chiefs and their force, and each incident is looked at on a case-by-case basis on the evidence available and in proportion to the crime.

Overseas Students: Afghanistan

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of Afghan Chevening scholars who are unable to return to Afghanistan at the end of their studies.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office does not hold this information; FCDO lead on Chevening Scholars policy.

Crimes of Violence and Theft: Crime Prevention

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce incidences of (a) violent crime, (b) theft in which a weapon is used and (c) theft in which no weapon is used.

Chris Philp: Homicide, gun crime, and knife crime are all below their pre-pandemic levels. The Home Office is investing over £110m to tackle serious violence in 2023/24. This includes:Violence Reduction Units and hotspot policing in the 20 areas worst affected by serious violence;A Serious Violence Duty which legally requires specified agencies to work together to reduce serious violence locally;Piloting Serious Violence Reduction Orders to give the police the power to stop and search adults already convicted of knife or offensive weapons offences; andThe Homicide Prevention Fund to help national policing organisations and local forces trial new initiatives and approaches.We are also banning certain types of large knives (such as zombie style knives and machetes), giving the police more powers to seize dangerous weapons, creating a new offence of possession of a bladed weapon with an intent to harm, and increasing sentences for those who import, manufacture or sell dangerous weapons to under 18s.On theft, we welcome the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales data, which shows a 77% per cent fall in robbery and a 52% fall in theft from the person in the year to March 2023 compared to the year to March 2010.The Safer Streets Fund lies at the heart of the Government’s strategy for cutting crime, protecting the law-abiding majority, and making neighbourhoods safe. We have invested £120m since 2020 into the Safer Streets Fund to increase the safety of public spaces for all, targeting neighbourhood crimes such as theft and robbery. The Fund is also intended to boost trust in the police and make communities feel safer.On 28 August police forces across England and Wales committed to a ministerial request to follow up on ‘reasonable lines of enquiry’ where there is a reasonable chance it could lead them to catching a perpetrator and solving a crime. This will include taking full advantage of footage from CCTV, phones and smart doorbells to help identify suspects and tracking stolen items where reasonable and proportionate to do so.

Retail Trade: Crime

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her oral contribution of 18 September 2023, Official Report, column 1097, whether she plans to monitor the extent to which individual police forces follow up on (a) CCTV footage, (b) online evidence of resale and (c) other actionable evidence.

Chris Philp: On 28 August, the Home Secretary announced that police forces across England and Wales have committed to pursuing all leads where there is a reasonable chance it could result in catching a perpetrator and solving a crime. This commitment applies to all crime types, meaning all material and potential evidence should be considered when there is information to suggest the offender could be identified. New guidelines and updated authorised professional practice on investigation from the College of Policing provide clear direction on applying a consistent standard of service to have the greatest chance of securing a positive outcome for a victim.His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services will use their existing inspections framework to assess how thoroughly forces are investigating crime, including whether they follow all reasonable lines of enquiry. We will closely monitor their findings and engage closely with the NPCC on implementation of the new College of Policing guidelines and updated authorised professional practice.Operational decisions are a matter for individual police chiefs and their force, and each incident is looked at on a case-by-case basis on the evidence available and in proportion to the crime. As the locally elected representative for policing, PCCs are responsible for holding their Chief to account for their performance.

College of Policing: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from which countries visited the UK to take part in the (a) Senior Leadership Development training programme and (b) Public Order Tactical and Commander training courses provided by the Royal College of Policing in (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23.

Chris Philp: The College of Policing is the professional body for policing in England and Wales. It was established in 2012 and is an operationally independent arms-length body of the Home Office.The Home Office does not routinely collect information on the number of attendees from specific countries who take part in training programmes provided by the College of Policing. This is a matter for the College of Policing.

Lancashire Constabulary: Disciplinary Proceedings

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police (a) officers and (b) staff are suspended from duties in Lancashire Constabulary.

Chris Philp: The Home Office collect and publish information on the number of police officers on long-term leave due to suspension as at 31 March each year as part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ publication.Information on the number of police officers, in Lancashire Constabulary, as at 31 March each year from 2007 to 2023, can be found in the ‘Absences Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1172880/open-data-table-police-workforce-absence-260723.odsThe Home Office do not hold information on the number of police staff that are suspended from their duties.These data should not be used to infer the total number of police officers suspended throughout a financial year as the data only cover instances where a police officer has been suspended for more than 28 calendar days. Furthermore, these data only cover officers on long-term leave due to suspension as a snapshot as at 31 March each year and does not include those suspended during the financial year where the suspension ends before 31 March. Moreover, an officer may appear in the data more than once if their suspension spans several years.

Road Traffic Offences: Driving Instruction

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the income retained by (a) local authorities and (b) agencies which deliver courses under the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme from the charges for those courses.

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library of the House his Department's technical guidance for organisations which deliver courses under the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not hold information on the income retained by local authorities and agencies or provide technical guidance for organisations which deliver courses under the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme.

Firearms: Licensing

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the time taken by police forces to issue (a) firearm and (b) shotgun licences.

Chris Philp: We do not collect data on the time taken by police forces to issue firearm and shotgun certificates.I have written to all Police and Crime Commissioners about the importance of an efficient and effective firearms licensing process in police forces and I continue to receive regular updates on force performance. In addition, force performance is being actively monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for firearms licensing.Particular focus is being made on the backlogs in those areas of greatest risk, with a reduced routine reliance being made on the use of temporary permits, as well as a reduction in those whose certificates have expired, who have not been given temporary permits and who remain in possession of their firearms.

Crimes of Violence: Offensive Weapons

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of (a) grievous bodily harm and (b) homicide involving (i) machetes and zombie knives there were in England in each of the last five years.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the age of the perpetrator of incidents of (a) grievous bodily harm and (b) homicide involving knives in (i) London and (ii) England in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp: The Home Office Homicide Index holds detailed data on homicides recorded by the police in England and Wales. Information on the type of sharp instrument used in a homicide, including zombie knives and machetes, was added to the collection in April 2022. These data, for the year ending March 2023, are due to be published by the Office for National Statistics in February 2024.The Homicide Index also holds information on the method of killing and age of convicted suspect. These data are in the given table. The number of convictions is likely to increase as more cases are finalised by the courts.The Home Office does not routinely collect information on the types of knives or sharp instruments used in other offences or the age of perpetrators.Number of suspects convicted of homicide where method of killing was by sharp instrument, by age,England and Wales, 2017/18 to 2021/22   2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/22Under 162111981616 to 241411251351198325 to 34557059524135 to 44323731191845 to 54262117141355 to 6411565665 to 742406075 plus12211Total289275259224178Source: Home Office Homide Index As at 6 December 2022; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.

Offensive Weapons

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ban machetes and zombie knives.

Chris Philp: The Government will seek to legislate a ban on certain types of large knives and machetes that do not seem to have practical use and appear to appeal to those who want to use these items as weapons when parliamentary time allows.Once the new legislation is in force, it will be a criminal offence to import, sell or possess these types of weapons.

Biometrics: Databases

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner's letter to the Secretary of State for Transport on the risks to the ANPR system, published on 11 October 2023, what assessment she has made of the implications for her polices of the Commission's comments on the creation of a national facial recognition software database; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Philp: The government is committed to making sure the police have the tools and technology they need to solve and prevent crimes, bring offenders to justice, and keep people safe.Technology such as facial recognition can help the police quickly and accurately identify those wanted for serious crimes, as well as missing or vulnerable people. It also frees up police time and resources, meaning more officers can be out on the beat, engaging with communities and carrying out complex investigations.The Police National Database (PND), established in response to the Soham murders, enables the sharing of intelligence, including facial images. It has had a facial searching service since 2013, and has led to the identification of murderers, rapists and other offenders.

Home Office: Public Expenditure

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests from select committees for details of Home Office expenditure her Department has declined over the past two years on the stated basis that the information was commercially sensitive.

Chris Philp: The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration: Public Appointments

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has not been reappointed.

Robert Jenrick: The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) is a statutory public appointment. These appointments are made by Ministers in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, which states “there is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits”.

Police: Cameras

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to make police officer body-worn camera footage available to people who have been recorded using those systems when that is requested.

Chris Philp: Decisions on whether to disclose body-worn video footage are matters the police, in line with Human Rights and Data Protection law.The NPCC has published clear guidance on the standards police forces in England and Wales should follow when operating body-worn video devices and information management processes. The NPCC guidance is available here: https://www.npcc.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/publications/publications-log/2022/body-worn-video-guidance.pdf.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) provides guidance for people on the right of access and how to obtain personal data held by organisations, including police forces and the wider criminal justice system. The ICO guidance is available here: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/crime/The Home Office has no plans to make any changes relating to the management by police forces of body-worn camera footage.

Visas: Health Professions

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many medical professionals working for the NHS moved from a study visa to a work visa in the last 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office does not publish data that would cover this request.

Asylum

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to provide heatmaps detailing the national spread of asylum cases to local authorities.

Robert Jenrick: We continue to work closely with Local Authorities (LAs) and share regular, timely and relevant data and Management Information in the form of heat maps to allow effective planning and the geographical distribution of asylum seekers in the UK.We are building on these products and following feedback from LAs, have increased the breadth of information contained to include further details including accommodation type and demographics.In conjunction with our strategic migration partnerships, we continue to work with LA forums and other partners to understand and identify ways of managing impacts.

British Nationality

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people had their British citizenship removed under the British Nationality Act 1981 in each of the last ten years.

Robert Jenrick: The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Secretary of State with powers to deprive a person of citizenship status only under the circumstances set out at sections 40(2) and 40(3) of the Act. Section 40(2) allows the Secretary of State to deprive any person of British citizenship, should they deem it conducive to the public good to do so. Section 40(3) allows the Secretary of State to deprive a person who has obtained citizenship by naturalisation or registration, where the Secretary of State is satisfied that citizenship was obtained by means of fraud, false representation, or concealment of material fact.Detail on the numbers of conducive deprivation orders made under Section 40(2) of the 1981 British Nationality Act, are published in the Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Six reports have been published to date providing the number of deprivations of citizenship orders made up until the end of 2021 and can be found at the below links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-government-transparency-report-on-the-use-of-disruptive-and-investigatory-powershttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disruptive-and-investigatory-powers-hm-government-transparency-reporthttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disruptive-and-investigatory-powers-transparency-report-2018https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transparency-report-disruptive-powers-2018-to-2019https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disruptive-powers-2020https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counter-terrorism-disruptive-powers-report-2021More recent data will be published in future publications in relation to deprivation of British citizenship 40(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981.Section 40(3) of the 1981 British Nationality Act, allows for deprivation of citizenship where fraud, false representation or concealment of material facts have been used to obtain British citizenship. Since February 2020 these figures have been published via the Transparency report on asylum data, which can be found using the link below:Immigration and protection data: Q2 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Passports: Databases

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received legal advice on the potential for using the UK passport database for the (a) prevention and (b) detection of crime.

Robert Jenrick: The sharing of passport data with law enforcement agencies for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime is longstanding, and is provided for within His Majesty’s Passport Office’s Privacy Information Notice: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpo-privacy-information-notice#full-publication-update-history

Drugs: Republic of Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions the Border Force has had with its Irish counterpart on tackling the transit of illegal drug supplies from Ireland into the UK.

Robert Jenrick: Border Force are committed to combating the importation of illegal drugs into the UK. Border Force works with law enforcement organisations, including the Police Service Northern Ireland, UK Police, An Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland and the National Crime Agency, to target those who might attempt to smuggle illicit drugs between the Republic of Ireland and the UK.

Overseas Students: Afghanistan

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to support the top 20 nursing students from Afghanistan to continue their studies in the UK through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

Robert Jenrick: As has been the practice under successive Governments, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.We remain committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan and so far, have brought around 24,600 people impacted by the situation to the UK.We continue to work with likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan on resettlement issues, and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans. We also continue to welcome individuals to the UK through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).

Asylum: Hotels

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the mandatory requirements for hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers.

Robert Jenrick: Under the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to house asylum seekers, who would otherwise be destitute, whilst their claim is under consideration. Eligible asylum seekers are ordinarily placed in housing accommodation; however, the unprecedented number of small boat arrivals has forced the Home Office to consider alternative accommodation options to ensure that we meet our statutory obligations, which has resulted in the temporary use of hotels.The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer. This is why we are delivering a range of alternative accommodation sites, maximising hotel space, operationalising the Illegal Migration Act and continuing our hard work to clear the asylum backlog by the end of 2023.

Asylum

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned from external consultants modelling of the potential impact of a reduction of the backlog of asylum applications on the number of people applying to (i) come to and (ii) stay in the UK via a refugee family reunion application.

Robert Jenrick: The Government’s refugee family reunion policy provides a safe and legal route to bring families together.We are committed to improving and speeding up processing times for family reunion applications.

Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre: Inspections

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Report on an unannounced inspection of Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 8–25 August 2022, published on 6 December 2022, when she expects a plan to resolve the concerns identified in the report tobepublished.

Robert Jenrick: The Government has fully considered the recommendations made by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons following his inspection report of Derwentside immigration removal centre. The Government’s response to the recommendations made, including the actions being taken forward, will be published on the Inspectorate’s website in due course.

Police National Database

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on the storage by police of custody images of people who have not been convicted of the judgment in RMC and FJ v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWHC 1681 (Admin).

Chris Philp: It is police forces’ responsibility to comply with the judgment.Since the judgment those not convicted of an offence have the right to request deletion of their custody image, with a presumption in favour, and the police have issued guidance for people in custody setting out those rights.

Asylum: Applications

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the attrition rate was for (a) asylum application decision makers and (b) national referral mechanism case workers in the latest period for which data is available.

Robert Jenrick: The latest Home Office data on the attrition rate of decision makers are not routinely published.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made on implementing the recommendations in the report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in October 2022.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Government is continuing to drive forward commitments made in our response to the Independent Inquiry, published in May. We are making good progress, including recently concluding the mandatory reporting call for evidence. We will continue to engage with stakeholders and victims and survivors to ensure we are using all levers we can to tackle this horrific crime. The Home Secretary has also committed to providing an update on progress to Parliament in November.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan refugees who were not made offers of alternative housing were made homeless following the closure of hotel accommodation in each local authority in Wales.

Robert Jenrick: All 55 hotels being used to house around 8,000 Afghans at the end of March were no longer being used as bridging accommodation by 31 August.The UK Government has granted all Afghans relocated through safe and legal routes with Indefinite Leave to Remain, including the immediate right to work, alongside access to the benefits system and vital health, education, and employment support.On top of this the Government made available £35m of new funding to enable Local Authorities to provide increased support for Afghan households to move from hotels into settled accommodation.The monitoring of Homelessness duties owed to this cohort is the responsibility of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).DLUHC has been gathering survey data from local authorities in England on homelessness duties owed to Afghans leaving bridging accommodation. This data has been published in the Homelessness management information – Afghan nationals: England.In summary the total number of Afghan households in this cohort in temporary accommodation under a homelessness duty in England as of 31 August was 188.This is based on a voluntary survey to local authorities in England with a 74% response rate, of which 35% of local authorities had reported owing homelessness duties to Afghan households leaving bridging accommodation.DLUHC will continue to monitor homelessness duties to this cohort going forwards and the Home Office will continue to publish statistics on resettlement schemes in the usual way.The information requested for each local authority in Wales is not currently available. The following operational data published by the Home Office may be of interest: Afghan bridging hotel exit operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment Schemes: Finance

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the £3.5 billion over five years to increase workforce participation announced in Budget 2023, how much and what proportion has been spent as of 13 October 2023.

Guy Opperman: The forecast spend for 2023/24 can be found in the 2023 Spring Budget publication. Final spend for the year on measures funded at the Spring Statement will be reported in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Employment Schemes: Finance

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the £3.5 billion package of measures to increase employment announced in the 2023 Spring Statement, on which measures his Department intends to spend this additional funding in each financial year.

Guy Opperman: The Spring Statement set out a significant, wide-ranging package of departmental measures that represent an investment of £3.5bn over 5 years to boost workforce participation.  Details of the funded measures and profile were included in the 2023 Spring Budget publication.

Employment Schemes: Finance

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the £3.5 billion over five years to increase workforce participation announced in Budget 2023, what estimate he has made of how much and what proportion of that investment will be spent by the end of the five years over which that money has been allocated.

Guy Opperman: The funding for 2023/24 and 2024/25 was confirmed at Spring Budget 2023. Spending beyond 2024/25 is subject to the outcomes of the next Spending Review. As such we have not made an estimate of how much and what proportion of the funding announced to increase Workforce Participation at the Spring Statement will be spent by the end of 2027/28.

Household Support Fund

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has for the Household Support Fund beyond the 2023-24 financial year.

Mims Davies: There are currently no plans to extend the Household Support Fund which runs to the end of March 2024. As with all policies, this is kept under continuous review. We are proud that, the Household Support Fund has been used to support many households in need in England with the cost of essentials. For example, over 10 million awards were made between 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. The government continues to focus on the Prime Minister’s priority to halve inflation by the end of the year. Through the ambitious package announced at the Spring budget we are also delivering measures that are designed to support people to enter work, increase their working hours and extend their working lives.

Work Capability Assessment

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the number of people whose benefit award would be assessed as lower if the (a) coping with social engagement and (b) getting about indicators were removed from the Work Capability Assessment.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the number of people whose benefit award would be assessed as lower if the number of points awarded for the (a) coping with social engagement and (b) getting about indicators was reduced.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the additional number of people who would be found fit for work if the (a) coping with social engagement and (b) getting about indicators were removed from the Work Capability Assessment.

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the additional number of people who would be found fit for work if the number of points awarded for the (a) coping with social engagement and (b) getting about indicators was reduced.

Tom Pursglove: The department has developed estimates across the range of options being considered in the Work Capability Assessment activities and descriptors consultation. The consultation runs until the 30th October and we will continue to refine these estimates as responses are considered following the end of the consultation period.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of benefit entitlement among pensioners.

Laura Trott: We have been running an extensive communications campaign since April 2022 to raise awareness of Pension Credit and encourage eligible pensioners to check their eligibility and apply. The main features of the campaign included advertising in regional and national newspapers, on national and local broadcast radio and across selected TV channels. We have also undertaken mini-bursts of communications activity to highlighted that successful Pension Credit claims mean qualification for Cost of Living Payments. There is a strong indication that it is having a positive effect. The number of Pension Credit applications is up by around 75% in the 12 months to May 2023 compared to the same period the year before. In July we launched an “Invitation to Claim” trial which involved contacting approximately 2,500 pensioner households identified as being likely to be entitled to Pension Credit and encouraging them to contact DWP and make a claim.

Health and Safety Executive: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Health and Safety Executive spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Mims Davies: The Health and Safety Executive’s expenditure on equality and diversity training in 2022/23 was £35,043.

Energy Bills Rebate: Travellers

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2023 to Question 198571 on Energy Bills Rebate: Travellers, if his Department will provide local authorities with assistance to enable Gypsy, Roma and Travellers whose main residence is not on a permanent site to apply for the Housing Support Fund.

Mims Davies: Local Authorities have the ties and local knowledge to best determine how the Household Support Fund should be provided to their local communities in England. Under the current Household Support Fund scheme, we are aware that some Local Authorities are providing energy and food support specifically targeted at the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. The Household Support Fund guidance sets out that Local Authorities are expected to identify and provide support to a wide range of low-income households in need, making use of data and other sources of information, including through engaging with third party organisations who may come into contact with people in need. As part of their delivery Local Authorities must operate an application-based service to ensure those in need have a route to emergency support.

Laboratories

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many biosafety level 4 labs are located in the UK.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many biosafety level 4 labs are located in urban areas in the UK.

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what oversight protocols are in place for biosafety level 4 labs in the UK.

Mims Davies: There are 9 facilities located in the UK that contain laboratories operating at Containment Level 4. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as the regulator of workplace health and safety in Great Britain does not specifically record data based on the Office for National Statistic’s definition of ‘urban areas’ but can confirm that most Containment Level 4 facilities are based away from population centres. HSE is responsible for the regulatory frameworks and oversight of the handling of pathogens and genetically modified organisms and for enforcing biosafety standards in high level containment facilities. The approach to biosafety enforced by HSE is underpinned by formal notification requirements and well-established risk-based regulatory frameworks designed to facilitate the effective and proportionate management of the risks that exist at facilities where work is undertaken with dangerous pathogens.

State Retirement Pensions: Women

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the correspondence from Garden Court Chambers of (a) 24 August and (b) 14 September 2023 on pension age changes for women born in the 1950s, whether he plans to meet with them to discuss this issue.

Laura Trott: The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has not completed his investigation into communication of changes to women’s state pension. It would be inappropriate to enter into Alternative Dispute Resolution with third parties or comment while the PHSO investigation is ongoing. Section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.

Public Lavatories: Men

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2023 to Question 189864 on Public Lavatories: Men, when the Health and Safety Executive plans to review its guidance on the disposal of sanitary dressings in toilets for men; and whether there will be a public consultation on this matter.

Mims Davies: HSE is the workplace regulator therefore the legislation and guidance will apply to toilets used by workers in workplaces made available to them as a place of work. HSE have begun a review of the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations. They currently estimate they will be in a position to carry out a public consultation in summer 2024. However, in the meantime, HSE have updated their web guidance to ensure it is clear that provision must be made for any worker with a disability to enable them to have access to facilities which are adjusted to their use if necessary.

Perinatal Mortality: Finance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support is available to parents after the stillbirth of a child.

Mims Davies: Government recognises that stillbirth and neonatal death are extremely sad and difficult for parents and families.To protect a woman’s health and wellbeing, where qualifying conditions are met, a woman is eligible for maternity payments in the sad event that her baby is stillborn from the start of the 24th week of pregnancy or if her baby sadly dies shortly after birth at any point in the pregnancy.There are two maternity payments available: Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) paid by employers to qualifying employed women and Maternity Allowance (MA) paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to eligible women (including the self-employed and those employed women who cannot get SMP).Both SMP and MA are paid for 39 weeks. For SMP, the first six weeks are paid at a weekly rate equal to 90 percent of the woman's average weekly earnings, with no upper limit, followed by 33 weeks at the lower of either the standard rate or 90 percent of the woman's average weekly earnings. MA is paid at either the standard rate or 90 percent of the woman's average weekly earnings, whichever is the lower, for the whole 39 week-period. The standard rate for both SMP and MA is £172.48 per week (2023/24).A Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500 may be payable for a stillbirth if at the time of the claim the claimant is in receipt of an income related benefit such as Universal Credit. A Sure Start Maternity Grant is usually only paid for the first child.Depending on individual circumstances, additional financial support may be available for parents through the benefit system, for example Universal Credit.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the press notice entitled Government announces employment support boost for over 30,000 economically inactive young people, published by his Department on 25 September 2023, how his Department estimated the number of additional 16 to 24 year-olds that would benefit from the expansion of the youth offer to economically inactive claimants.

Mims Davies: The Youth Offer provides individually tailored Work Coach support for 16-24-year olds on Universal Credit to help them find work. Eligibility for the Youth Offer has, as of the 25th September 2023, been expanded to include additional young people on Universal Credit who are not currently searching for work, including young parents and carers. The estimate of over 30,000 young people provided was based on DWP administrative data as of 12th September 2023 date and shows the number of young people in Work Focused Interview or Work Preparation groups, who are not in employment or on the health journey who could now take up the offer of support through the Youth Offer.

Child Maintenance Service: Training

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department provides guidance to Child Maintenance Service caseworkers on ensuring fairness of arrangements for resident and non-resident parents.

Mims Davies: The Child Maintenance Decision Makers’ Guide is published on the gov.uk website providing transparency of our policy and guidance for caseworkers and resident and non-resident parents. This can be found here.

Social Security Benefits: Payments

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people who are (a) usually eligible for (i) Universal Credit and (ii) other benefits and (b) have received a nil award for those benefits in the qualifying period because they have received non-consolidated additional backpay from the NHS for the year 2022-23 will receive all the cost of living payments they would otherwise be entitled to in 2023-24.

Mims Davies: Employees who receive arrears of earnings and/or lump sum payments in one month, could have their Universal Credit award reduced to zero in the same month (known as a ‘nil award’). Claimants who receive a ‘nil award’ in the qualifying period will not have an entitlement to a Cost of Living Payment. We are unable to distinguish whether an increase to a claimant’s earnings is temporary or permanent. However, we are delivering the Cost of Living Payment in three separate payments over 2023/24 to reduce the chance of someone missing out altogether. Those who do not qualify for an instalment of the Cost of Living Payment may qualify for another Payment.

Ministry of Defence

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families of 11 September 2023, Official Report, column 652, in response to the oral question of the hon. Member for Barnsley East, to whom nuclear test veterans should submit a subject access request for their health records.

Dr Andrew Murrison: A veteran, or representative acting on their behalf, can make a Subject Access Request (SAR) to the relevant military Service, Veterans UK or the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) to gain access to records held on them. Information is provided under ‘General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Chapter 3, Article 15 – Right of access’. Guidance is set out on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/obtain-information-about-yourself-held-by-mod. Further information on submitting a SAR to AWE specifically can be found here: https://www.awe.co.uk/freedom-of-information-act/

USA: Quantum Technology

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help increase transatlantic quantum technology cooperation.

James Cartlidge: Defence has a variety of longstanding international relationships that support technology cooperation and quantum technologies are no exception. We recognise that our partners in both the US and Canada have strengths in a broad range of areas. We collaborate closely on science and technology development with both the US and Canada both bilaterally and in a range of multilateral fora and have well established governance forums through which we jointly consider future work that holds mutual benefit.We support the development of HMG wide international cooperation on quantum technologies, including in support of the National Quantum Strategy led by the Secretary of State for DSIT. This has included supporting the signature of a UK/US letter of intent on quantum cooperation.

Defence Equipment & Support: Accidents

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) accidents and (b) near misses involving manual handling equipment have taken place at Defence Equipment and Support in Beith since 11 September 2023.

James Cartlidge: There have been no accidents involving manual or mechanical handling equipment at Defence Munitions Beith since 11 September 2023. There have been three near-misses involving mechanical handling equipment reported at Defence Munitions Beith since 11 September.

Defence and Security Media Advisory Committee: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Defence and Security Media Advisory Committee spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Defence Security Media Advisory DSMA Committee is an independent committee and acts as in an advisory capacity between government departments which have responsibility for national security and the media, therefore this information is not held by the Department. Information on the DSMA and its role and responsibilities can be found here via the following link: https://www.dsma.uk/

Members: Correspondence

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 11 April 2023 from the hon. Member for Solihull, reference JK29645.

James Heappey: I responded to the hon. Member regarding this case on 9 May 2023 and, following additional correspondence received on 15 September 2023. I provided a further response on 5 October 2023.

LGBT Veterans Independent Review

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the LGBT Veterans Independent Review Final Report, published in May 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 June 2023 to Question 190453 to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr Morgan).LGBT Veterans Independent Review (docx, 22.7KB)

AWACS: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to finalise the full business case for the E-7 Wedgetail programme.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the forecast delivery of the first E-7 Wedgetail aircraft has changed from 2023 to late 2024.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of when the third E-7 Wedgetail aircraft will be delivered.

James Cartlidge: The In-Service Date for the Wedgetail capability, including dates for delivery of all three aircraft, will be published in the Full Business Case expected for submission in the first part of 2024. There have been some delays to the aircraft delivery schedule, due to contractor performance and a combination of shortages in materials, parts and skills which are being felt across the global aviation industry. Additionally, the contractor has underestimated the complex and increased assurance activity required to enable flight certification following Boeing 737 MAX aircraft accident investigations. We are working closely with Boeing to minimise the adverse impact of these challenges.

Defence Equipment & Support: Health and Safety

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to ensure the adequacy of health and safety arrangements during industrial action at Defence Equipment and Support in Beith.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Defence Munitions Continuity Plan was invoked during the strike action which meant fully qualified and competent staff attended Beith from other DM sites. This was to ensure the continued safety of operations and to ensure ongoing military capability was not disrupted.Those personnel undertake the same roles at other DM sites, hold full Ministry of Defence driving licences and have undertaken the same training as the staff at Beith.Risk assessments and method statements for activities at Beith remain extant for all processes undertaken and have been fully complied with.

Defence Equipment & Support: Industrial Disputes

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether alternative labour is being used to carry out the roles of people on strike at Defence Equipment and Support in Beith.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Defence Munitions Continuity Plan was invoked during the strike action which meant fully qualified and competent staff attended Beith from other Defence Munitions sites. This was to ensure the continued safety of operations and to ensure ongoing military capability was not disrupted. Those personnel undertake the same roles at other Defence Munition sites, hold full Ministry of Defence driving licences and have undertaken the same training as the staff at Beith.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2023 to Question 187102 on Afghanistan: Refugees, how many ARAP-eligible family members have had their applicationsdeclined in the last 12 months.

James Heappey: Principal ARAP applicants apply on behalf of their family members. Family members eligible for relocation under ARAP cannot have applications declined, as they do not directly apply to ARAP and are already eligible for relocation.

Military Aircraft: Engines

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of F-35B Block 4 upgrades on the (a) cooling and (b) power demands of F135-PW-600 engines installed in the UK fleet.

James Cartlidge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 199396 on 18 September 2023 and my predecessor gave to Question 45734 on 2 September 2022.F-35 Aircraft Engines (docx, 14.7KB)F-35 Aircraft (docx, 14.8KB)

Ministry of Defence: Weddings

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 191222 on on Ministry of Defence: Weddings, what security considerations his Department has identified for not permitting civil marriages or civil partnerships to take place on the Defence Estate in England and Wales.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Civil marriages and partnerships occur on Defence estates outside the UK and will comply with host countries’ laws or the Sovereign Base Regulations. The last civil marriage that took place on Defence estates in Cyprus was 11 March 2023 and the last civil partnership that took place on Defence estates in Cyprus was 27 June 2022.  Civil marriages or partnerships cannot take place on the Defence Estate in England and Wales due to The Marriages and Civil Partnership (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005, which requires Approved Premises to be regularly available to the public. That is not tenable in respect of the defence estate because of security concerns. On 24 July 2023, in my capacity as Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, I wrote to the Ministry of Justice to enquire about amending the legislation to remove the requirement for unrestricted public access. Such an amendment would ensure that the Defence community could enter into civil marriages and partnerships in locations that have particular significance to them.

Ministry of Defence: Weddings

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Ministry of Defence: Weddings, on what date did a civil (a) marriage and (b) partnership last take place on the Defence Estate in (a) England and (b) Cyprus.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Civil marriages and partnerships occur on Defence estates outside the UK and will comply with host countries’ laws or the Sovereign Base Regulations. The last civil marriage that took place on Defence estates in Cyprus was 11 March 2023 and the last civil partnership that took place on Defence estates in Cyprus was 27 June 2022. Civil marriages or partnerships cannot take place on the Defence Estate in England and Wales due to The Marriages and Civil Partnership (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005, which requires Approved Premises to be regularly available to the public. That is not tenable in respect of the defence estate because of security concerns. On 24 July 2023, in my capacity as Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, I wrote to the Ministry of Justice to enquire about amending the legislation to remove the requirement for unrestricted public access. Such an amendment would ensure that the Defence community could enter into civil marriages and partnerships in locations that have particular significance to them.

Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has provided to increase electric vehicle charging points in the London Borough of Havering in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jesse Norman: The Department is supporting local authorities, such as the London Borough of Havering, through its £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. Earlier this year, London was awarded £35.7 million in capital funding to cover the costs associated with the installation of EV chargepoints. Havering will also benefit from London’s £3 million capability funding, which will secure dedicated in-house expertise to support boroughs to plan, procure and tender the delivery of local chargepoints. In addition, the Borough was awarded £346,490 in 2021/22 through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, which has supported the installation of 114 public chargepoints across the area. Through the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), businesses, charities and the wider public sector can receive grants of up to £350 per socket for installing up to 40 charging sockets for their employees and fleets. The London Borough of Havering has benefitted from WCS grants as follows:  Number of socketsGrant Value20172£60020192£1,000202023£10,000202129£9,917202227£9,450202312£4,200Total95£35,167

Railways: Apprentices

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many apprenticeships have been (a) offered, (b) completed and (c) started but not completed with (i) London North Eastern Railway, (ii) Transpennine Express, (iii) Northern Rail and (iv) Southeastern Railway since they have been run by the operator of last resort.

Huw Merriman: The Department is committed to ensuring that the transport workforce better reflects our diverse society. As part of the ongoing work with the Transport Employment and Skills Taskforce, the Department has been working with a range of stakeholders leading on the skills and employment agenda, which includes Apprenticeships. The Department has also included requirements for Passenger Services rail operators including OLR Operators to recruit Apprentices. The Train Operators have confirmed as follows: OLR OperatorOfferedStarted but OngoingCompletedNorthern 20201265762377South Eastern 2021682392 (The started but not completed figure includes individuals who started an apprenticeship but then left SET before completion, as well as those that are still working to complete their apprenticeship.)258TransPennine Trains 2023070London North Eastern Railway 2018See below LNER’s apprenticeship data is based on the Apprenticeship Service Status: All312Waiting to start0Live182Paused3Stopped43Completed84

Blue Badge Scheme: Applications

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had recent discussions with local authorities on the potential merits of increasing funding for the processing of blue badge applications.

Mr Richard Holden: Local authorities are responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Blue Badge scheme, although the Department for Transport provide the overall criteria nationally, and officials regularly engage with them about different aspects of the scheme.

Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Jesse Norman: The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee did not spend any money on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Euston Station: High Speed 2 Line

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential impact on the economy of the Euston link in the planned HS2 route.

Huw Merriman: As set out by the Prime Minister on 4 October 2023, the Government will oversee a change in the delivery leadership of the HS2 Euston station and set up a Development Corporation. This will help unlock growth potential for London and deliver thousands of additional homes at Euston, ensuring maximum value for the taxpayer while attracting private investment to build the HS2 station.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information the Government holds on the number of electric vehicle charging points in City of Durham constituency.

Jesse Norman: For the City of Durham constituency, the table below details the number of: ,i. publicly available electric vehicle charging devices as at 1st July 2023 according to Zapmap;ii. domestic electric vehicle charging devices funded by the Domestic Recharge Scheme (DRS) as at the scheme end in 2014;iii. domestic electric vehicle charging devices funded through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) at 1st July 2023 and;iv. workplace electric vehicle charging sockets funded through the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) at 1st July 2023. i.) Public charging devicesii.) DRS charging devicesiii.) EVHS charging devicesiv.) WCS charging socketsCity of Durham constituency93393640113Data on electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, held by the Department for Transport, is sourced from those installed or funded under Government approved grant schemes, operated by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and from the electric vehicle charging platform Zapmap. Charging devices not supplied via these schemes or recorded on Zapmap are not included and the actualnumber of charging devices may be higher than recorded in these figures.The data across columns should not be summed to create a total as public charging devices, DRS and EVHS statistics count charging devices, whereas WCS counts charging sockets, making them incompatible to sum together.A geographic breakdown of data from the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) scheme has not yet been published,and so has been excluded from this table. Data for charging devices installed through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is not available at parliamentary constituency level.

High Speed 2 Line: Business

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays to HS2 on the growth of businesses in the North of England.

Huw Merriman: The Government launched Network North, a new investment plan for transport improvements, to drive long-term economic growth and transform prospects, benefitting more people, more places, more quickly than under the previous plans for HS2. The plan includes a £19.8 billion investment for the North by connecting its major cities with more services, increased capacity and faster journeys, a brand-new station at Bradford, new mass transit system in West Yorkshire, new major roads and the reopening of rail lines, all on top of the £12 billion set aside to deliver fast links between Liverpool and Manchester.

High Speed 2 Line

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress made on delivery of HS2.

Huw Merriman: Delivery for Phase 1 remains on track to deliver initial high-speed services between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham Curzon Street by 2033, with a connection to Euston to follow. The Government will continue to set out its assessment of delivery and schedule on the HS2 programme through its 6-monthly reports to Parliament.

High Speed 2 Line

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential impact on the economy of the Birmingham to Manchester link in the planned HS2 route.

Huw Merriman: Assessments of the impact of HS2 Phase 2a (West Midlands to Crewe) and Phase 2b Western Leg (Crewe to Manchester) on the economy are set out in published business case documents, including the July 2017 Phase 2a Outline Business Case and the June 2022 Phase 2b Western Leg Strategic Outline Business Case Update. However, these business cases do not capture changes in business and commuter travel patterns post-pandemic which may change the assessed impact on the economy.On 4 October, the Prime Minister unveiled his vision to deliver the forms of transport that people use the most: Network North. This new plan will radically improve travel between and within our cities and towns, and around our local areas – benefitting more people in more places, more quickly. Network North will support economic growth in towns and cities by driving better connectivity across the North and Midlands with faster journey times, increased capacity and more frequent, reliable services across rail, buses and roads.

High Speed 2 Line: Construction

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential impact on job numbers of changes in estimated construction delivery dates for HS2.

Huw Merriman: The large majority of jobs on HS2 are currently working on the delivery of Phase 1 and the Prime Minister has confirmed that the government will complete Phase 1 of HS2 between Birmingham and London. Delivery remains on track to deliver initial high-speed services between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham Curzon Street by 2033, with a connection to Euston to follow.There will be significant opportunities for contractual work through the new investment plans that the Prime Minister announced on 4 October 2023, providing job opportunities across the range of projects in the delivery pipeline.

High Speed 2 Line: Construction

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential impact of (a) changes in estimated construction delivery dates and (b) inflation on the cost of delivering HS2.

Huw Merriman: The government will continue to provide updated delivery and financial assessments of HS2 at key decision points for the programme, as has been done to date. Updated analysis will consider any impacts caused by inflationary and cost pressures.

North Wales Coast Line: Electrification

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic benefits of the funding for the electrification of the North Wales mainline on the constituents of (a) Ynys Mon and (b) North Wales.

Huw Merriman: The Government has announced its commitment to fund the electrification of the North Wales Mainline within the £36 billion Network North programme. We are undertaking detailed delivery planning on a project-by-project basis and will share further information when that work is complete.

North Wales Coast Line: Electrification

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's timeline is for works to complete the electrification of the North Wales mainline; what the estimated cost is for the electrification of that line; and what estimate he has made of the effect of the upgrade on journey times between Holyhead and London and other destinations.

Huw Merriman: The Government has announced its commitment to fund the electrification of the North Wales Mainline within the £36 billion Network North programme. We are undertaking detailed delivery planning on a project-by-project basis and will share further information when that work is complete.

Railways: Suffolk

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the announcement that the Ely Junction and Haughley Junction rail projects will receive Government funding, what the timescales are for the delivery of each project.

Huw Merriman: We have committed to Ely as part of £36bn Network North programme. We are currently considering next steps for the delivery of the Ely Area Capacity Enhancements (EACE) and Haughley junction upgrade rail projects. All schemes will be subject to the development and approval of business cases and will undergo all formal governance, in line with relevant fiscal and legal duties. We are working with Network Rail on next steps and will update stakeholders in due course.

Railways: Suffolk

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential benefits to passenger services in Ipswich of the upgrade of (a) Ely Junction and (b) Haughley Junction.

Huw Merriman: The Ely Area Capacity Enhancements (EACE) scheme would create capacity to increase trains through the Ely ‘bottle neck’ from 6.5 per hour to 10 trains per hour, doubling passenger services on the Ely-King’s Lynn and Ipswich-Peterborough routes. We anticipate that the EACE scheme will take 98,000 lorry journeys off roads every year, improving road safety and reducing road congestion.

Roads: Suffolk

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to road users in (a) Ipswich and (b) Suffolk of the upgrading of (i) Ely North Junction and (ii) Haughley Junction.

Huw Merriman: The Ely Area Capacity Enhancements (EACE) scheme would increase freight train capacity into the port of Felixstowe from 36 to 42 trains per day, as well as increasing passenger service capacity. This is the equivalent of 98,000 lorry journeys every year, which would improve road safety and reduce road congestion.

Electric Vehicles: Bicycles

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents involving e-bikes and pedestrians have been recorded in the last five years; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure the safety of pedestrians in areas shared with e-bikes.

Jesse Norman: The Department’s road casualty statistics are based on data collected from police forces via the STATS19 system.STATS19 does not identify e-bikes as a separate category, and therefore the Department does not hold the information requested.

Department for Transport: Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason his Department’s spending with Enterprise Rent-A-Car increased between 2011 and 2022.

Jesse Norman: The core Department’s spend on vehicle hire with Enterprise has not significantly increased between 2011 and 2022.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the closed consultation entitled Pavement parking: options for change, updated on 29 June 2023, whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the outcomes of that consultation.

Mr Richard Holden: Ministers have had informal discussions with colleagues from time to time. The process for identifying and securing collective agreement to the approach the Government wishes to take on pavement parking in light of the consultation is ongoing.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Government Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, published March 2022, what progress his Department has made on the aim of providing reliable public charge points near to where people live.

Jesse Norman: As of 1 September 2023, the Government and industry have supported the installation of over 48,100 public charging devices in the UK. This represents an increase of 43 per cent since September 2022 - growth rate consistent with over 300,000 public charging devices in the UK by 2030. The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund will support local authorities in England to work with industry to deliver tens of thousands of local chargepoints, transforming the availability of charging for drivers without off-street parking.  The Government has also laid regulations to improve the consumer experience across the public charging network, and has published accompanying guidance. The regulations mandate open data to ensure consumers can locate the right chargepoints for their needs; mandate 99 per cent reliability across each rapid charging network; and ensure a 24/7-hour helpline across the entire public charging network.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has provided for supporting electric vehicle charging infrastructure in each of the last three years.

Jesse Norman: The table below provides the data for the Department’s chargepoint grant schemes, published by Department for Transport as part of its Official Statistics for the United Kingdom as of 1 July 2023.  Financial year ending 2021Financial year ending 2022Financial year ending 2023Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) £350£2,575,626Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS)£23,505,788£59,326,260£700Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)£2,583,976£4,436,875£5,355,971On-Street Residential Scheme (ORCS)£7,270,281£25,414,354£34,619,759  In addition, under the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund Pilot, the Government awarded almost £32 million of funding to twenty-five Local Authorities (LAs) across England in FY 2022/23, alongside close to £8 million of resource funding through the LEVI Capability Fund. Local EV Infrastructure Fund Pilot  £31,939,189Local EV Infrastructure Capability Fund  £7,644,060Total£33,360,045£89,177,839£82,135,305

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, published by his Department in March 2022, what progress he has made on meeting the aim of having at least 300,000 public charge points by 2030.

Jesse Norman: As of 1 September 2023, the Government and industry have supported the installation of over 48,100 public charging devices in the UK. This represents an increase of 43 per cent since September 2022, a growth rate consistent with over 300,000 public charging devices in the UK by 2030.Looking forward, the Government expects a market-led rollout for the majority of electric vehicle chargepoints, which will be supported by public investment in key areas. The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund will support local authorities to work with industry to increase the number of chargepoints across England. This Fund will help residents without access to off-street parking to have better access to electric vehicle chargepoints. At the same time, the Rapid Charging Fund will future-proof electrical capacity to accelerate the rollout of high-powered chargers on the strategic road network.

Regional Airports

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the resources available for regional airports to ensure greater flexibility in the operation of public service obligation routes.

Jesse Norman: It is for the relevant local authority to determine the need for a PSO and to submit a business case to DfT for consideration. Under this policy, DfT, along with respective local authorities / local sources currently joint funds three routes into London.

Department for Education

Electronic Cigarettes: Health Hazards

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish to publish for consultation an amended draft of the statutory guidance on the risks associated with e-cigarettes in the Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum.

Nick Gibb: On 1 June 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced steps to prevent pupils getting access to e-cigarettes illegally. As part of this, the Department is planning to include a specific reference to the harms of e-cigarettes in the amended Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum.The Department expects to publish an amended draft of the statutory guidance for consultation later this autumn, with a view to a final version being published in 2024.The RSHE statutory guidance, which sets out the curriculum topics, already states that in primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use, and drug taking. To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the Department published a suite of teacher training modules, including drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes.In addition, the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco are taught in compulsory health education. This supplements drug education which is part of the National Curriculum for Science in Key Stages 2 and 3.Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including what items are banned from school premises. This should be communicated to all pupils, parents and school staff.Schools have the autonomy to decide which items should be banned from their premises, and these can include e-cigarettes. Items banned by the school can be searched for as outlined in the Department’s Searching, Screening and Confiscation guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation.The Department believes that this will help head teachers to manage e-cigarettes on school premises and to inform pupils about the risks, with a view to reducing the numbers of pupils who are currently using e-cigarettes, or who might be tempted to try them in the future.

Teachers: Workplace Pensions

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2023 to Question HL7130 on Teachers: Workplace Pensions, if she will publish a list of employers involved in the provision of private education which (a) are or (b) have been since 11 May 2010 participants in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Nick Gibb: The information is not readily available or held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Apprentices: Finance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of apprenticeship levy funds were transferred from levy-payers to non-levy payers in the (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23 academic year.

Robert Halfon: The Government, via HM Revenue and Customs, collects an apprenticeship levy of 0.5% on total payroll from businesses across the UK with an annual payroll expenditure of more than £3 million. From this, HM Treasury sets an English apprenticeships budget for the department, and the devolved governments receive a share of the funding calculated using the Barnett formula.The apprenticeships budget in England is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts for all employers of all sizes, both those who pay the levy and those who do not, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers, providers, and apprentices.In the 2019/20 financial year, the apprenticeship budget was £2,469 million and total spend was £1,919 million. £650 million (34%) of this spend was directed to non-levy paying employers, including £3 million which was transferred directly by levy-paying employers via levy transfer. Of the £650 million, £451 million was spent on non-levy employer training and assessment costs and the remainder for additional payments such as English and maths support.In the 2020/21 financial year, the apprenticeship budget was £2,467 million and total spend was £1,863 million. £557 million (30%) of this spend was directed to non-levy paying employers, including £16 million which was transferred directly by levy-paying employers via levy transfer. Of the £557 million, £403 million was spent on non-levy employer training and assessment costs and the remainder for additional payments..In the 2021/22 financial year, the apprenticeship budget was £2,466 million and total spend was £2,455 million. £817 million (33%) of this spend was directed to non-levy paying employers, including £23 million which was transferred directly by levy-paying employers via levy transfer. Of the £817 million, £546 million was spent on non-levy employer training and assessment costs and the remainder for additional payments.In 2022-23 financial year, the apprenticeship budget was £2,554 million and total spend was £2,458 million. £724 million (29%) of this spend was directed to non-levy paying employers, including £32 million which was transferred directly by levy-paying employers via levy transfer. Of the £724 million, £505 million was spent on non-levy employer training and assessment costs and the remainder for additional payments.To note, the amount of annual funds that levy-paying employers can transfer from their levy account increased from 10% to 25% in April 2019.

T-levels

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of students who started a T-level course in the 2021-22 academic year (a) completed the qualification, (b) transferred to a different qualification and (c) left education or training during the (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23 academic year.

Robert Halfon: The information requested will be published when fully available in early 2024.

Apprentices: Small Businesses

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship placements there were in SMEs in the (a) 2017-2018, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20, (d) 2020-21, (e) 2021-22 and (f) 2022-23 academic year.

Robert Halfon: The most recent statistics on apprenticeship starts by enterprise size cover the 2012/13 to 2020/21 academic years, and are published on Explore Education Statistics at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics.Data for 2021/22 and 2022/23 will be published in June 2024 and June 2025, respectively.

Schools: Buildings

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) financial control of and (b) oversight of emergency expenditure on rectifying issues in school buildings rated to RAAC.

Nick Gibb: It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the Department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.The Department will work with the relevant responsible body, which will depend on the type of school or college with confirmed RAAC. Every case will be different, and we are working closely with those affected to understand and support their needs, including with capital funding.Schools and colleges will either be offered capital grants to fund refurbishment work to permanently remove RAAC, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, including through the School Rebuilding Programme. The Department will set out further details for affected schools and colleges in due course.The Department is prioritising enabling children to access face to face education, with minimum disruption. This includes directly supporting responsible bodies and their schools to access funding, while ensuring sufficient and proportionate controls. The Department is closely monitoring expenditure through its existing processes, which have been adapted to cover urgent expenditure on RAAC mitigations. A dedicated financial team has also been put in place to establish monitoring and assurance processes for expenditure on remediation, and the Government Internal Audit Agency has been engaged to provide further oversight.​The Department will always put the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in education settings at the heart of its policy decisions. The Government has taken more proactive action to identify and mitigate RAAC in education settings than any other in the UK.

Care Leavers and Children in Care

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has provided recent guidance to local authorities on consulting with affected children on proposed changes to (a) the provision of accommodation and (b) other services for (i) children in care and (ii) care leavers.

David Johnston: It is vital that children in care and care leavers are properly consulted on the decisions that affect their lives. Local authorities must give due consideration to a child’s wishes and feelings before making any decisions about their care. This is clearly set out in the care planning guidance, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1000549/The_Children_Act_1989_guidance_and_regulations_Volume_2_care_planning__placement_and_case_review.pdf. Every child must be appointed an Independent Reviewing Officer, who has a duty to ensure that care plans have given proper consideration to a child’s wishes and feelings and that the child fully understands the implications of changes to their care plan. In addition, the Children Act 1989 sets out the responsibilities of local authorities to support care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independent living. This includes a requirement on local authorities to appoint a Personal Adviser to support the young person up to at least age 21, and up to age 25 if the young person requests it. The Personal Adviser is required to work with the young person to develop a mandatory Pathway Plan that sets out the young person’s aims and ambitions across seven domains, including accommodation, and the support that the local authority will provide to support them. The Pathway Plan must be reviewed at least every six months, or whenever the young person moves accommodation. The department consults widely with children in care and care leavers on changes to national policy which might affect them. The department has established the National Implementation Board which includes people with lived experience of the children’s social care system, to challenge and support implementation and delivery of the reform programme, and has awarded contracts to Barnardo’s and Coram Voice until Spring 2024 who are working with policy officials to facilitate engagement with care experienced young people. Topics covered to date have included fostering, family help, corporate parenting and the national framework and dashboard.

Schools: Buildings

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help remediate school buildings with non-RAAC structural issues; and whether these will be tackled at the same time as remediation work relating to RAAC.

Nick Gibb: It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.​The Department supports schools and colleges by providing significant capital funding each year, organising central rebuilding programmes, and producing extensive guidance on effective and safe estate management.​The Department has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 to improve the condition of the estate, including £1.8 billion committed for the 2023/24 financial year.Local Authorities, larger multi-academy trusts and larger voluntary aided bodies are eligible to receive an annual School Condition Allocation (SCA) to prioritise improving the condition of their schools. Smaller and standalone academy trusts, small voluntary aided school bodies and sixth form colleges are instead able to bid to the Condition Improvement Fund, an annual bidding round to apply for funding for specific capital projects. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fund.Schools also receive funding to spend on their capital priorities or to contribute to larger projects though an annual Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) allocation. Details of SCA and DFC allocations for the current financial year are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding#funding-allocations-for-the-2022-to-2023-financial-year, and for previous years at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding#funding-allocations-for-the-2022-to-2023-financial-year.Where the Department is alerted to significant safety issues with a building that cannot be managed within these available resources, support is provided on a case-by-case basis.​In addition, the Department is transforming 500 schools through the School Rebuilding Programme. All publicly funded schools and sixth form colleges in England had the opportunity to be nominated by their responsible body for the programme. A total of 400 schools have been confirmed, with 100 places reserved for later in the programme. We will set out details of further selection in due course. Buildings in the poorest condition and those with evidence of potential safety issues have been prioritised, including some now known to contain RAAC. The Department is committed to the projects that have already been announced as being rebuilt or refurbished through the programme.

Schools: Buildings

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools are waiting for temporary classrooms as mitigations for spaces that are unusable due to reinforced autoclave aerated concrete.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral evidence given to the Education Select Committee by the Minister for the School System and Student Finance on 19 September 2023, how many schools she expects to be waiting until 20 November for temporary classrooms.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her oral contribution of 19 September 2023 in response to the Urgent Question from the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, on what dates she had discussions with utility companies regarding arrangements for temporary classrooms as a result of building closures caused by the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools are sharing facilities with other schools for (a) design and technology, (b) art, (c) drama, (d) music, (e) sport and (f) other specialist subjects as a result of their own facilities being unavailable due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, as of 19 September 2023.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her oral contribution of 19 September 2023, at which school children expressed that they wanted to stay in portacabins; and what capital investment that school has received since 11 May 2010.

Nick Gibb: An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was published on 19 September, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/updated-list-of-education-settings-with-raac.Every school or college with confirmed RAAC is assigned dedicated support from the Department’s team of 80 caseworkers who work with them to assess what support is needed and implement mitigation plans. Mitigation plans could include using other spaces on the school site, in nearby schools or elsewhere in the local area, until structural works are carried out or temporary buildings are installed. A bespoke plan is put in place to ensure that each school and college receives the support that suits their circumstances.Project delivery teams are on site to support schools and colleges, whether that is finding short term accommodation options or designing and putting in place structural solutions for affected spaces. The Secretary of State has also visited several schools and colleges affected by RAAC.The Department has increased the supply of temporary buildings, working with three contractors, and accelerated the installation of these. The Department also met key water and utility companies between 30 August and 5 September 2023 to ensure the easy connection to temporary services. The Department has secured significant capacity to meet current needs and can increase this if necessary. The Government will fund the emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary.

Attorney General

Hamas: Demonstrations

Tom Hunt: To ask the Attorney General, what guidance her Department has issued on the prosecution of pro-Hamas demonstrators.

Michael Tomlinson: On 13 October, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published further prosecution guidance on protests and demonstrations in light of the Middle East conflict. This compliments the already extensive prosecution guidance on hate crime and offences committed during protests.A link to the CPS statement can be found here:https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/cps-prosecution-guidance-protests-and-demonstrations-light-middle-east-conflictThe CPS provided additional prosecutors to offer advice and assistance to policing in real-time, including in the Met command centre, during recent protests. The CPS continues to work closely with its operational partners to ensure a coordinated and consistent response.

Serious Fraud Office

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Attorney General, how many corporate self-reports the Serious Fraud Office has received in each of the last five years.

Michael Tomlinson: In financial year 2018/19 the SFO received 8 corporate self-reports.In financial year 2019/20 the SFO received 17 corporate self-reports.In financial year 2020/21 the SFO received 11 corporate self-reports.In financial year 2021/22 the SFO received 8 corporate self-reports.In financial year 2022/23 the SFO received 8 corporate self-reports.

G4S: Fraud

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Attorney General, what provision the Serious Fraud Office made in its Annual Report 2022-23 for special payments for the case involving three executives of G4S.

Michael Tomlinson: The Serious Fraud Office’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2022-23 included a provision of £6 million to cover any claims that could be made during the year in relation to casework outcomes, this would include any settlements that result from ongoing claims relating to G4S, which have yet to be agreed.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Refugees: Ukraine

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to extend the duration of the (a) Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, (b) Ukraine Family Scheme and (c) Ukraine Extension Scheme beyond the initial three-year period.

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to introduce settlement routes for Ukrainian nationals in the UK on temporary visas under the (a) Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, (b) Ukraine Family Scheme and (c) Ukraine Extension Scheme.

Felicity Buchan: As the first visas issued for the Homes for Ukraine scheme will begin to expire in March 2025, the Home Office is reviewing what may be needed beyond that date, bearing in mind the situation in Ukraine, the wishes of the Ukrainian Government, and the needs of Ukrainians in the UK. Announcements will be made in the usual way.

Parking: Fees and charges

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has held recent discussions with trade associations representing private parking firms on changes in the level of parking fees for disabled drivers.

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the appropriateness of parking fees for disabled drivers charged by private parking companies; and what information his Department holds on the relation of such fees to the rate of inflation.

Jacob Young: As part of the new Private Parking Code of Practice that is in development, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is reviewing the existing private parking charge cap. It recently published a draft Impact Assessment and concluded a Call for Evidence that considered various options relating to parking charge and debt recovery fee caps. We intend to consult on these elements of the Code in due course.Last month, my predecessor met with both industry and consumer representatives to discuss the Call for Evidence and forthcoming Code of Practice.Owners of private car parks are covered by the Equality Act, and are therefore required to take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled people have the same access to the service as non-disabled people.

Buildings: Concrete

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of community buildings affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in (a) St Helens North constituency and (b) the North West.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 197493 on 11 September 2023.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Concrete

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any court buildings have been identified as having reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC); and whether his Department plans to fund emergency mitigation works to any courts in which RAAC is identified.

Mike Freer: I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 26 September 2023 to Question 199292:https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-09-13/199292.

Immigration: Appeals

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the consultation outcome, Possible changes to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) Rules and the Upper Tribunal Rules arising from Nationality and Borders Act 2022, published by the Tribunal Procedure Committee on 27 October 2022, whether it remains the Government’s policy not to proceed with implementation of the proposed rules in relation to accelerated detained appeals, as drafted by the Tribunal Procedure Committee pursuant to section 27 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

Mike Freer: Work is underway to bring the provisions in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 relating to accelerated detained appeals into force as soon as possible. We cannot commit to a specific date at this point.In due course, we will seek the Tribunal Procedural Committee's views on whether their work needs to be revisited in order to effectively implement the policy in relation to accelerated detained appeals.

Wandsworth Prison: Crimes of Violence

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults have been reported against prison officers at Wandsworth Prison in each year since 2010.

Damian Hinds: Assaults on staff by establishment from 2003 – March 2023 in England and Wales are published as part of our Safety in Custody statistics available at the following link: Safety-in-custody-summary-q1-2023-final-tables.xlsx (live.com).

Prisons: Security

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether on-site survey work was carried out on the prison estate to (a) assess and (b) improve security in prisons between March 2020 and June 2021.

Damian Hinds: On-site survey work was carried out on the prison estate during the period March 2020 to June 2021 to assess and improve security, including to ensure adequate security at prison sites under consideration for installation of temporary accommodation during the Covid pandemic.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Civil Society: Grants

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will increase the number of grant schemes aimed at capacity building for third sector organisations.

Stuart Andrew: This government is providing significant investment and support to Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations. For example, in March we announced a package of over £100 million to support charities and community organisations in England with cost of living pressures, and over this spending review period we are investing over £500 million in youth services in England.Alongside this we are also providing targeted support that will build capacity across the VCSE sector. For example, we are delivering one-to-one business support and peer learning for early stage social enterprises in disadvantaged areas through the £4.1 million Social Enterprise Boost Fund. Similarly, the £900,000 VCSE Contract Readiness Programme is boosting the capacity of VCSE organisations in England to better compete for government contracts.In addition, we recently announced further support for the youth sector. We have allocated £250,000 through the Local Youth Partnerships Fund to support the set up of additional local youth partnerships to boost the range, quality, accountability and sustainability of frontline services for young people through greater local coordination and cooperation. We are also providing core funding for 8 regional youth work units in England to improve their practices and ensure a consistent minimum level of regional leadership to develop and support the delivery of youth services. Finally, in order to further build the youth sector capacity, we have also announced £800,000 of new funding to provide bursaries for 500 people who would otherwise be unable to afford to undertake youth work qualifications. This builds on over 2,000 bursaries funded to date.The department remains in regular dialogue with key VCSE sector stakeholders to monitor the health of the sector and to identify shared priorities.

Sports Competitors: Women

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with domestic sporting authorities on steps to reduce the number of Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries among female athletes.

Stuart Andrew: The Review of Women’s Football, published in July this year, examined the strategic priorities for the development of women's football and made recommendations on the future direction of the women's game. It highlighted the lack of sport exercise and scientific research which currently exists in women’s sport and that only 6% of sport exercise and science research involves only women. This lack of awareness means female athletes are often not being given the protection, expertise and support they need.The Government has been speaking to the football authorities on all matters within the review, and is due to respond to the review in the autumn. We will address ACL injuries directly in that response, holding relevant stakeholders to account for action around player welfare.

Cabinet Office

National Security and Investment Act 2021

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how often action has been taken against third parties under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in the last two years.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government has powers under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA) to scrutinise and, where necessary, intervene in acquisitions of control over entities and assets in or linked to the UK that may pose national security risks. We will not hesitate to use our powers to protect national security where we identify concerns.The National Security and Investment Act Annual Report 2022-23 shows that in the period April 2022- March 2023, 65 cases were called in for scrutiny and 15 final orders were made. 2 final orders have been made since March 2023.The 2022 Annual Report, covering January 2022 to March 2022, shows that over that time period 17 acquisitions were called in for scrutiny and no final orders were made.In both reporting periods, no penalties were issued, and no criminal penalties were sought.Figures for the financial year 2023-24 will be published in the next Annual Report.

Scotland Office

Boundary Commission for Scotland: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much the Boundary Commission for Scotland spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Mr Alister Jack: The Boundary Commission of Scotland has responsibility for its staff, who are employed by the Scottish Government and assigned to the Commission, within the terms of Scottish Government policies and processes. Training for staff is accessed through the Scottish Government, including on diversity and equality. Boundary Commission for Scotland therefore incurred no expenditure on such training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Treasury

Self-assessment: Fines

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is taking steps to ensure that people filing a late tax return do not have to pay a penalty that exceeds the tax that they owe.

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the level of fines issued by HMRC for the late submission of self-assessment tax returns for self-employed people who have not earned above the threshold for paying tax.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC issues Self Assessment (SA) tax returns to customers when the information they hold suggests that the customer meets the published criteria for completing one. HMRC often cannot determine someone’s tax liability until they have sent in a tax return, therefore they need the return to establish whether there is tax due or not.​​ Late filing and payment penalties are charged to encourage customers to file on time, but HMRC can cancel a customer’s late filing penalty if the customer has a reasonable excuse. Customers can also ask HMRC to remove them from the SA process for future years if they no longer meet the criteria.​ From October 2011 the penalty legislation changed, from this point the capping of penalties was no longer factored into the calculation and any fixed penalty applied remained at the full amount regardless of liability. Although no change to the current penalty regime has been announced, Penalty Reform within Making Tax Digital will change the way HMRC calculates penalties for late Submission and late payment of tax. The new legislation will factor in the Liability amount, Filing frequency and length of time outstanding within its penalty calculations. In reforming late payment and late filing penalties HMRC’s aim is to encourage those who persistently default to comply with their tax obligations rather than penalise those who make occasional errors.

Public Expenditure: Scotland

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Barnett consequentials for Scotland are of the construction of the HS2 rail project.

John Glen: Funding for the HS2 programme has been provided to the Department for Transport’s (DfT). The Barnett formula has applied changes to the DfT’s budget to date as a result of funding for the HS2 programme, and the Scottish Government has received Barnett consequentials as a result.At spending reviews, the Barnett formula is applied to changes in each UK government department’s DEL budget with the Barnett consequentials that arise then added to the devolved administrations’ baseline block grants.  As the Barnett formula is not applied to changes in funding for all the individual programmes within a UK government department’s DEL budget, the Barnett consequentials associated with these individual programmes cannot be identified.The Barnett formula will continue to apply in the usual way as per the Statement of Funding Policy to any additional funding subsequently confirmed in this Spending Review period. All decisions on funding beyond the Spending Review 21 period will be taken at the next Spending Review.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of changes to the HS2 scheme on Barnett funding for Northern Ireland.

John Glen: Funding for the HS2 programme has been provided to the Department for Transport’s (DfT). The Barnett formula has applied changes to the DfT’s budget to date due to funding for the HS2 programme, and the Northern Ireland Executive has received Barnett consequentials as a result. At spending reviews, the Barnett formula is applied to changes in each UK Government department’s DEL budget with the Barnett consequentials that arise then added to the devolved administrations’ baseline block grants. As the Barnett formula is not applied to changes in funding for all the individual programmes within a UK Government department’s DEL budget, the Barnett consequentials associated with these individual programmes, such as HS2, cannot be identified. The Barnett formula will continue to apply to future changes to the DfT budget from funding for the HS2 programme.

Funerals: Pre-payment

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential impact of the requirement for funeral plan companies to be regulated by the FCA by 9 July 2022 on the number of those companies (a) entering and (b) likely to enter administration.

Andrew Griffith: In January 2021, the government legislated to bring all pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) from 29 July 2022. This has ensured that 1.6 million funeral plan customers are protected by compulsory and robust regulation. The government consulted widely on the regulation of pre-paid funeral plans. Most notably, it published a consultation, draft statutory instrument, and impact assessment in June 2019. The FCA also published a consultation and detailed cost-benefit analysis on their proposed regulatory rules for the pre-paid funeral plan sector in March 2021.

Personal Savings: Tax Allowances

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to increase the personal savings allowance.

Andrew Griffith: The Government’s savings tax policy rewards savers by incentivising greater saving and investment. On top of the normal Personal Allowance, the Personal Savings Allowance allows up to £1,000 of tax-free savings for basic rate taxpayers and up to £500 for higher rate taxpayers. Over and above that, individuals can also save up to £20,000 into an Individual Savings Account (ISA) each year, and any savings income received on cash within an ISA is tax free. Combined, this means that around 90% of people with savings income pay no tax on that income. As with all taxes, we keep the level of the Personal Savings Allowance under review, and any changes would be made at a fiscal event.

Credit: Fraud

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to protect people from credit and loan scams; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it a requirement for lenders to request ID from customers before credit can be issued.

Andrew Griffith: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for regulating the consumer credit market. FCA rules dictate that firms (including those offering credit cards) must have adequate policies and procedures in place to counter the risk that they might be used in financial crime. Furthermore, firms must ensure that the systems and controls monitoring these are subject to regular assessment. Firms are also required by law to verify someone’s identity when they establish a business relationship with them. This includes when opening a credit account such as a credit card. Firms are required to take a proportionate approach commensurate with their assessment of the risk. Each firm will have their own policies on identification, customer due diligence and on the circumstances in which additional security checks should be undertaken. Firms are assisted in making such policies through industry produced guidance. The government has also published a Good Practice Guide for firms on how to prove and verify someone’s identity, which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identity-proofing-and-verification-of-an-individual/how-to-prove-and-verify-someones-identity

Ulster Bank: Interest Rate Hedging Products

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing independent oversight of the review by NatWest into allegations of mis-selling of fixed rate hedging products by Ulster Bank.

Andrew Griffith: The Government has always been clear that any mis-selling of financial products is completely unacceptable and wrong. However, the allegations of mis-selling of fixed rate hedging or similar products by Ulster Bank are first and foremost a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment at this time.

Banks: Regulation

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of inflation on the £25 billion retail deposit level at which banks are required to ring-fence their retail deposit-taking operations.

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the £25 billion threshold for banks to separate out their retail deposit-taking operations into a ring-fenced entity on the competitiveness of the UK retail bank industry.

Andrew Griffith: On 28 September 2023, the government published draft secondary legislation for consultation on reforms to the ring-fencing regime. The reforms will make the regime smarter and simpler by taking forward recommendations made by the independent ring-fencing review and going further in a number of areas. This includes increasing the “core deposit” threshold, above which firms become subject to the regime, from £25bn to £35bn. The deposit threshold was originally set at £25bn by HM Treasury following recommendations from the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) in 2011. The government white paper published in 2011 in response to the ICB outlined that the threshold would need to be adjusted over time to reflect the evolution of banking practices and growth in the deposit base. Since then, the deposit base has grown significantly and the resilience of the banking sector has increased. The proposed £10bn increase to the threshold would result in approximately 90% of banks’ UK retail deposits being covered by the ring-fencing regime, which is broadly in line with the proportion covered when the threshold was set originally. The updated threshold will provide banks currently below the £25bn deposit threshold with more room to grow before becoming subject to the ring-fencing regime. By removing a potential barrier to growth for banks, this proposal will support competition in the UK retail banking industry, and benefit the sector and its customers as a whole The government will publish an impact assessment on its proposed reforms to the ring-fencing regime alongside introducing forthcoming secondary legislation.

Care Homes: Tax Allowances

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to introduce tax relief on care and nursing home fees.

Victoria Atkins: There are a wide range of factors to consider when introducing new tax reliefs as they can add significant complexity to the tax system. Tax reliefs are also difficult to target effectively; for example, they do not benefit individuals with income below the income tax Personal Allowance at all. The current care system already provides support to those who need it most. People with assets under £23,250 are eligible for state financial support towards their care costs. Additionally, where someone is drawing on care in their own home - or is in a residential home but has a qualifying relative such as a partner or child still living at home - their house is not taken into account at all when working out how much they need to pay. Where that doesn’t apply, people can often take out a deferred payment agreement, so they don’t need to sell their home in their lifetime. The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Alcoholic Drinks: VAT

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the VAT charged on alcohol supplied by (a) pubs and (b) supermarkets on the level of competition between those sectors.

Victoria Atkins: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services, including alcohol sold at both pubs and supermarkets. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. The Government understands the vital role the hospitality industry plays in the UK economy. We have implemented a new alcohol duty system on 1 August, which also has many benefits for pubs. The new Draught Relief provides a significant duty discount on alcohol sold in containers of 20 litres or more, in pubs and other on-trade venues. As well as this, the Government’s ‘Brexit Pubs Guarantee,’ confirms that the duty on a draught pint will always be lower than its equivalent in a supermarket. The Government continues to keep all taxes under review.

Revenue and Customs: Personnel Management

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the efficiency of the Respect at Work programme in HMRC.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC published an independent review about what it’s like to work at HMRC, Respect at Work Review in 2019. The review made a series of recommendations that HMRC implemented including significant changes to departmental policy, processes and practice. The programme closed at the end of March 2023 and ongoing work was absorbed into business as usual. As reported (on page 50) of HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts HMRC’s activities in 2022-23 included ‘delivering the remaining aspects of the Respect at Work Programme’.

Health Services and Social Services: VAT

Dr Liam Fox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much accrued to the Exchequer from VAT on health and social care training in each of the last five years.

Victoria Atkins: Businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.The information requested is therefore not available.

Married People: Tax Allowances

Mark Logan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to review the levels of (a) Marriage and (b) Married Couple's Allowance ahead of the Autumn Statement.

Victoria Atkins: The Government introduced the Marriage Allowance (MA) in April 2015 to recognise marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system. It allows a spouse or civil partner to transfer 10 per cent of their Personal Allowance (PA) if their partner is a basic rate taxpayer. At Autumn Statement 2022, the Chancellor announced that the PA would be maintained at 2021-22 levels up to and including 2027-28. The transferable tax allowance of £1,260 provided through the MA is therefore due to remain at its current level until 2027-28. The Married Couple’s Allowance, which is available to those born before 6 April 1935, was uprated to be valued between £4,010 and £10,375 in 2023-24. As with all elements of income tax, the Government keeps this under review.

High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for Tax Simplification's (OTS) evaluation paper on the High Income Child Benefit Charge, whether steps have been taken to progress recommendations relating to the high income child benefit charge made in the OTS's 2019 Life Events review.

Victoria Atkins: The Government was grateful to the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) for their suggestions for how the individual’s experience of Child Benefit and the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) could be improved. The OTS acknowledged that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has made progress following their ‘Simplifying everyday tax for smaller businesses’ and the ‘Life events review: simplifying tax for individuals’ reports from 2019. This has included improving the Child Benefit form to ensure that it is clear that the form should be completed, even where the parents may wish to opt out of getting Child Benefit payments. HMRC has also undertaken customer research to explore Child Benefit claimants’ understanding of HICBC, benefits of claiming and the reasons why some do not make a claim. HMRC has taken considerable steps to raise awareness of the HICBC. It currently shares information via social media, through third parties such as websites aimed at parents or families, and on GOV.UK. HMRC writes to around 70,000 customers each year to remind them what they need to do to pay the HICBC. HMRC are also delivering on the Government’s commitment, made in July 2023, to enable employed individuals to pay the HICBC through their tax code, removing the need to register for Self Assessment. This will make the process of paying the charge simpler for individuals who become liable to the charge, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to a simpler and fairer tax system. The Government will provide further detail in due course. In addition, the Government recognises concerns that some eligible parents who have not claimed Child Benefit could miss out on their future entitlement to a full State Pension. This is why at Tax Administration and Maintenance Day on 28 April 2023, the Government announced that it will address this issue to enable affected parents to receive a National Insurance credit retrospectively. Further details of next steps will be set out in due course. The OTS’ findings continue to inform HMRC’s ongoing work

Defibrillators: VAT

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy not to charge VAT on defibrillators.

Victoria Atkins: The Government currently provides various VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators and other first aid equipment. For example, when an AED is purchased with funds provided by a charity or by voluntary contributions, and then donated to an eligible body (such as an NHS body or a charitable care institution), this purchase can then be zero rated, meaning no VAT is charged. Otherwise, they attract the standard rate of VAT. Beyond this, the Government has agreed to provide funding of £1 million to design a grant scheme that expands public access to AEDs. The Government continues to encourage communities and organisations across England to consider purchasing a defibrillator as part of their first-aid equipment, specifically in densely populated areas. In addition, last year the Government committed to supplying state-funded schools in England with defibrillators to make sure there is a device in every school, with deliveries completed in June 2023. This means that every state-funded school in England, over 21,500 schools, now has access to an AED. The Department of Health and Social Care are examining whether there are ways to further expand public access to defibrillators. The Government keeps all taxes under constant review.

Medical Equipment: VAT

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to remove the VAT levied on (a) defibrillators and (b) associated equipment.

Victoria Atkins: The Government currently provides various VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators and other first aid equipment. For example, when an AED is purchased with funds provided by a charity or by voluntary contributions, and then donated to an eligible body (such as an NHS body or a charitable care institution), this purchase can then be zero rated, meaning no VAT is charged. Otherwise, they attract the standard rate of VAT. Beyond this, the Government has agreed to provide funding of £1 million to design a grant scheme that expands public access to AEDs. The Government continues to encourage communities and organisations across England to consider purchasing a defibrillator as part of their first-aid equipment, specifically in densely populated areas. In addition, last year the Government committed to supplying state-funded schools in England with defibrillators to make sure there is a device in every school, with deliveries completed in June 2023. This means that every state-funded school in England, over 21,500 schools, now has access to an AED. The Department of Health and Social Care are examining whether there are ways to further expand public access to defibrillators. The Government keeps all taxes under constant review.

Revenue and Customs: ICT

Sarah Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC is taking to help reduce the risk of a (a) major IT failure and (b) security breach.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC continually upgrades IT systems as part of ongoing maintenance.  HMRC has 24/7 support operation in place with established processes for early identification of incidents and respond to these appropriately. Customer data is subject to high levels of protection and HMRC takes data protection seriously.

Revenue and Customs: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HM Revenue and Customs is taking to mitigate the risks of a major (a) IT failure and (b) security breach.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC continually upgrades IT systems as part of ongoing maintenance.  HMRC has 24/7 support operation in place with established processes for early identification of incidents and respond to these appropriately. Customer data is subject to high levels of protection and HMRC takes data protection seriously.

Off-payroll Working

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of administrative changes to IR35 in 2021 on the extent to which domestic contractors are able to secure short-term contracts from UK clients.

Victoria Atkins: The off-payroll working rules are designed to ensure that individuals working like employees but through their own company pay broadly the same income tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs) as those who are directly employed.The government and HMRC remain committed to understanding the impacts of changes made to the rules in April 2021, and have published external research and HMRC’s own internal analysis on the short-term impacts of the reforms.

No-interest Loans Scheme: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans that the pilot No Interest Loan Scheme will be launched in Northern Ireland.

Andrew Griffith: At Budget 2021, HM Treasury announced £3.8 million of funding to pilot a No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS), designed to help vulnerable consumers across all four nations of the UK who would benefit from affordable credit to meet unexpected costs.This pilot is being run by Fair4AllFinance, in conjunction with their partners. It is HM Treasury’s clear expectation that they shall launch a pilot site in Northern Ireland.

Child Trust Fund

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to identify the number of unclaimed mature Child Trust Funds that have been claimed by account holders in the last 12 months.

Andrew Griffith: HMRC publishes annual statistics on the number of matured CTFs that remain unclaimed together with the number of CTFs that have been claimed. The latest statistics were published in June 2023 and can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2023. An update will be published in Summer 2024. The government is committed to helping people identify and access the savings they are entitled to and continues to explore new routes to reunite young people with their matured CTFs.

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the allocation to Northern Ireland will be from Wave 3 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

John Glen: At Spending Review 2021, funding was allocated for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Barnett formula was applied. At spending reviews, the Barnett formula is applied to changes in each UK government department’s DEL budget with the Barnett consequentials that arise then added to the devolved administrations’ baseline block grants. Because the Barnett formula is not applied to changes in funding for all the individual programmes within a UK government department’s DEL budget, the Barnett consequentials associated with these individual programmes, such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, cannot be identified. At Autumn Statement 2022, the Chancellor announced £6 billion of funding to go towards energy efficiency policies in the next Spending Review period. All decisions on devolved administration funding beyond the current Spending Review period will be taken at future Spending Reviews.

Cooperatives: Economic Situation

Jim McMahon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the cooperative sector to the UK economy.

Andrew Griffith: The Government is committed to having a thriving co-operative sector and creating a modern and supportive business environment in the UK. The Government acknowledges the vital contribution co-operatives make to the economy, serving local communities up and down the UK. The latest Co-operative and Mutual Economy Report 2023, conducted by the trade body Co-operatives UK, found that co-operatives generated a combined, annual turnover of £40.9 billion, a 3.7% increase from 2022 levels. The Government has taken significant steps to support the co-operative sector in recent years. For example, the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 helped cut through the legal complexity involved in running a co-operative, improving their competitiveness. Additionally, at Budget 2021, the Government announced the £150m Community Ownership Fund. This allows community groups to bid for up to £2 million matched-funding to help them buy or take over local community assets at risk of being lost and run them as community-owned businesses, supporting co-operative entrepreneurship. To date, 195 projects across the UK have benefitted from the fund. Earlier this year, the Government-supported Co-operatives, Mutuals, and Friendly Societies Act 2023 came into force, which grants HM Treasury the power to bring forward regulations to give those mutuals further flexibility in determining for themselves the best strategies for their business regarding their surplus capital. Furthermore, the Government also aims to continue to develop a modern and supportive business environment to set co-operatives and mutuals up for success. The Government has commissioned the Law Commission to conduct reviews of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and the Friendly Societies Act 1992. These reviews will investigate necessary changes to legislation that will help support co-operatives and friendly societies in their future growth and success.

Teachers: Pay

Claire Hanna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Barnett Consequential for Northern Ireland will be as a result of the 6.5% pay increase for teachers in England.

John Glen: The Government has accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s pay recommendations for the 2023/24 teacher pay award in England in full. We are reprioritising from within the Department for Education’s existing budget to deliver the additional funding to schools in England for the costs of the pay award over 3.5%. The Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) receives funding through the Barnett formula when UK Government departmental DEL budgets change. As there is no change to the Department for Education’s DEL budget associated with this announcement, there are no associated Barnett consequentials. Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland would already have resulted from the Department for Education’s initial budget settlement at Spending Review 2021 (SR21).The devolved administrations are well funded to deliver all their devolved responsibilities. SR21 set the largest annual block grants for the devolved administrations, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since the Devolution Acts. This provided on average £15 billion per year for the NIE. The NIE continues to receive at least 20% more funding per head than the UK Government spends on the same things in the rest of the UK.A full breakdown of changes to devolved administrations’ block grants, including Barnett consequentials, is set out in the published Block Grant Transparency document.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Renewable Energy

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether renewable energy (a) brought ashore for battery storage and hydrogen and (b) not connected to the national grid is subject to grid connection charges or other imposed regulatory costs.

Andrew Bowie: Charging liability depends on the exact nature of a connection arrangement, but the general expectation is that a party would not incur charges and costs associated with the licensed electricity network if it is not connected to it.

Great British Nuclear: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much Great British Nuclear spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Andrew Bowie: Great British Nuclear was launched in April 2023. As it was not operational in the 2022-23 financial year, it therefore did not spend any money on equality and diversity training in that year. Great British Nuclear will in due course recruit a permanent senior leadership and staff to deliver on the ambitious plans that exist for the UK’s nuclear programme.

Committee on Radioactive Waste Management: Training

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.

Andrew Bowie: The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management is a small advisory committee. Its budget is provided by the Department for Energy Security and Nez Zero, which also provides a small secretariat for the Committee. Committee members spent £0 on equality and diversity training the 2022-23 financial year.

Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made on the issuing of energy support payments to people in mobile homes.

Amanda Solloway: Mobile homes on permanent sites were eligible to receive support through the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding which closed to new applications on 31 May 2023. After extensive research and stakeholder engagement, the Government have been unable to establish a robust method for mobile homes not on permanent sites to prove that their caravan is their main or sole residence, whilst protecting public funds against fraud.

Climate Ambition Summit

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will publish the correspondence between him and the UN Secretary-General on the UK’s attendance at the Climate Ambition Summit; and if she will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: It is not usual practice to publish correspondence between the Prime Minister and his international counterparts. The UK remains committed to working with its international partners to deliver on national and global climate change targets. On 20 September 2023, the Prime Minister made a statement setting out his plans to deliver on UK commitments to reach Net Zero by 2050, while ensuring the costs of meeting these targets do not fall unfairly on the British public. I represented the UK at the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit. Following the UK’s $2 billion contribution to the Green Climate Fund to support other countries, I announced £160 million funding for international climate support, as the UK stands as a key ally with developing countries in their efforts to cut emissions.

Climate Change Convention

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to assess performance against the commitments the UK made at COP26 and COP27.

Graham Stuart: The UK monitors progress against all its international commitments on an ongoing basis. For example, the 2030 Strategic Framework for International Climate and Nature Action (published in March 2023) provides an update on progress since COP26 as well as setting out the UK's vision and commitments to drive further action.

Climate Change Convention

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will publish his Department's priorities for COP28.

Graham Stuart: Building on the legacy of the UK's COP26 Presidency and leadership on net zero, the Government's aim is to work with international partners to deliver a COP outcome that puts the world on track to keep 1.5 degrees within reach. The Government wants to see ambitious action across all pillars of the Paris agreement (finance, mitigation and adaptation) and will provide a more detailed statement ahead of COP28.

Arboriculture and Horticulture: Carbon Emissions

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the environmental horticulture, landscaping and arboriculture sector on net zero targets.

Graham Stuart: The Net Zero Strategy sets out the UK's ambition to reduce emissions from Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs sectors as part of an overall reduction across the economy of 77% by Carbon Budget 6. Nature-based solutions, like restoring peat and planting trees, are key to tackling climate change and averting its impacts. They deliver multiple benefits for climate, biodiversity and people, and can therefore play an important role in reaching net zero.

Climate Change and Nature Conservation

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing a citizens' Climate and Nature Assembly.

Graham Stuart: The Government has no plans to establish a citizens’ Climate and Nature Assembly.

Energy: Conservation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will publish all correspondence between her predecessor and the (a) Minister for the Cabinet Office and (b) Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the Government’s response to the consultation on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards since March 2023.

Graham Stuart: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. I refer the Hon. Member to the Prime Minister’s statement made on the 20th September 2023 where he outlined the Government’s plans to deliver on UK commitments to reach net zero by 2050 in a pragmatic, proportionate and realistic way.

Fuel Oil

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting the continued use of oil burners.

Graham Stuart: Decarbonising off-grid properties, including households that rely on heating oil, is a priority for the Government. Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the Government will offer increased grants of £7,500 to households installing a heat pump. As announced by the Prime Minister on 20 September, the Government has pushed back the date by which the installation of oil heating systems in England will end to 2035. The Government is investigating options to decarbonise off-grid properties that are not suitable for heat pumps and will seek further evidence by issuing a consultation next year.

Electricity: Storage

David Duguid: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase the rate of installation of (a) carbon capture and storage, (b) hydrogen and (c) other (i) low-carbon and (ii) flexible backup electricity power technologies.

Graham Stuart: The £20 billion announced in the Budget sets up the UK to deliver four Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) clusters by 2030. The Government will publish a vision for the CCUS sector in 2023. The Government's ambition is for up to 2GW of low-carbon hydrogen capacity to be in operation or construction by 2025. Government aims to complete the first Hydrogen Allocation Round by the end of 2023.The Government is working with Ofgem and industry to implement the actions of the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan to achieve a more flexible energy system.

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage

David Duguid: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to reach 7-9 GW of Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage power by 2030.

Graham Stuart: Power generation with Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) will be crucial to provide the flexible low carbon power generation required to decarbonise securely the power sector by 2035. In March, the Government entered negotiations to deliver the UK’s first power CCUS project through the CCUS Cluster Sequencing Process, with the aim of reaching Final Investment Decisions in 2024. This is not the extent of the Government's ambition: in March, the Department announced that it will launch a process this year to enable further expansion of the Track-1 CCUS clusters, and in July, it commenced engagement and due diligence with future CO2 storage sites to deliver two additional clusters by 2030 through Track-2. This will enable further power CCUS deployment, alongside other CCUS-enabled technologies, and put the UK on the pathway to meeting its power sector decarbonisation ambitions, which Government analysis suggest could require as much as 10GW of power CCUS by 2035.

Geothermal Power: Southampton

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2023 to Question 198502 on Geothermal Power: Southampton, what funding is available for a more detailed study to understand the full potential of heating available from the Wessex Basin Aquifer.

Graham Stuart: The Heat Networks Delivery Unit (HNDU) provides grant funding to local authorities and select public and private sector organisations in England and Wales for heat network development. This support is available via bidding rounds. Up to 67% of the total eligible costs of a development stage is available, with the exception of project management costs, which may be fully funded by HNDU for public sector applicants and registered social landlords. Grant funding is provided to successful local authorities under Section 31 of the Local Government Act and other applicants under Section 98 of the National Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. Currently, Round 13 is open for applicants, closing on 31 December 2023.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Women

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many and what proportion of FTE civil servants at pay band SCS2 in her Department are women.

Graham Stuart: The number and proportion of women at pay band SCS2 in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (core dept only) is 17.8 FTE and 49.9% respectively.

Hydroelectric Power: Scotland

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many Renewable Obligation Certificates have been issued to hydroelectric power stations in Scotland since 2015, broken down by (a) the total over that period and (b) each year.

Graham Stuart: Renewables Obligation Certificates for stations in Scotland are issued under the Renewables Obligation Scotland scheme. That scheme is devolved to the Scottish Government.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Staff

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many staff in her Department at (a) Grade 6, (b) Grade 7 and (c) SCS are contractually based in (i) Scotland, (ii) London and (iii) the South East.

Graham Stuart: The table below shows the number of staff in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (core department only) by location and grade. LocationG7G6SCSLondon1161402176Scotland3692South East (Inc London)1161402176

Nuclear Power

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the UK is taking a leading role in the development of nuclear energy.

Andrew Bowie: The British Energy Security Strategy set an ambition of up to 24 GW of nuclear capacity by 2050 to support energy security and net zero objectives. To deliver on this objective, the Government is undertaking a range of activities. We have launched Great British Nuclear, which has an immediate focus on bringing forward small modular reactors, we have invested in Sizewell C to deliver the next large-scale project, and we have provided support for a range of enabling activities through the Low-Cost Nuclear Challenge, Nuclear Fuel Fund and the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund. In addition, we will publish a Roadmap this autumn setting out the long-term trajectory for the nuclear sector, as well as publish a consultation on alternative routes to market for new nuclear projects.

Alternative Fuels: Ammonia

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has a policy on the production of green ammonia from hydrogen and renewable energy.

Graham Stuart: Decarbonised ammonia produced from low carbon hydrogen could play an important role in a future net zero energy system, including to decarbonise fertiliser production. Low carbon hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels like ammonia will also likely play a crucial role in decarbonising the maritime sector. Analysis commissioned by the Department for Transport estimated that by 2050 there could be 75-95TWh of demand for hydrogen-based fuels (principally in the form of ammonia) from UK domestic and international shipping. The UK Hydrogen Strategy, published in August 2021, outlines a comprehensive roadmap for the development of the UK's low carbon hydrogen economy over the 2020s.

Alternative Fuels: Shipping

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure a resilient supply of ammonia as a future fuel for the maritime sector.

Graham Stuart: The Hydrogen Production Business Model will provide revenue support to producers to overcome the operating cost gap between low carbon hydrogen and high carbon alternatives. This will provide a contractual, producer-focused business model that could facilitate hydrogen use in a broad range of sectors, including low carbon ammonia production. The Net Zero Hydrogen Fund will help to stimulate the growth of the hydrogen economy by providing £240m to support the development and construction of new low carbon hydrogen production plants. In addition, the Government is supporting innovation for shipping decarbonisation through funds such as the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.

Boilers: Wales

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the revised target for the phasing out of fossil fuel boilers in off-grid homes will apply to Wales.

Graham Stuart: In September 2023, my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced the Government will push back the end date for installing oil, LPG and coal heating systems in England to 2035. As this is a devolved policy, it is for the Welsh Government to consider steps to decarbonise off gas grid homes in Wales.

Billing: Payment Methods

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of some utility companies prohibiting payment of bills at high street banks and post offices on affected customers; and whether her Department is taking steps to help support people who do not have access to online and telephone banking to set up direct debits with their utility suppliers.

Amanda Solloway: The Supply Licence requires suppliers to offer a wide choice of payment methods and must include payment by cash and in advance through Pre-payment Metres. Some suppliers have stopped providing a Giro Payment slip on bills to encourage customers to switch to online or telephone banking, but these suppliers must provide a giro payment if requested in-line with their Supplier Licence Conditions.

Energy: Housing

Samantha Dixon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of (a) guidance and (b) information on participating suppliers to support the ECO4 flex application process.

Graham Stuart: The Department and Ofgem, the ECO4 scheme administrator, consistently engage with stakeholders to ensure that the ECO4 Flex guidance is fit for purpose and meets the needs of its intended users. Ofgem has published a full list of ECO-obligated energy suppliers on its website, including contact details. The Department and Ofgem encourage participating local authorities and ECO-obligated energy suppliers to promote ECO4 Flex through their own communication channels.

Fuel Poverty: St Helens North

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of care recipients that are in fuel poverty in St Helens North constituency.

Amanda Solloway: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero do not hold the data for the number and proportion of care recipients that are in fuel poverty in St Helens North Constituency. The latest sub regional fuel poverty statistics show that we consider 13.6% (6,097) of households to be in fuel poverty in the constituency of St Helens North.

Electricity: Standing Charges

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions she has had with Ofgem on the criteria used to decide the the regional rates and standing charges for electricity.

Amanda Solloway: Ofgem have explained that electricity network charges vary by region to reflect the costs of running the network in that area and the number of consumers that those costs are spread over. Ofgem, as the independent energy regulator, is responsible for overseeing the allocation of network charges to network users, and the standing charge which includes some of the distribution costs. Ofgem has previously reviewed the regional differences in network charges, and it concluded that the current cost-reflective approach has advantages and supports an efficient system where overall network costs are minimised for consumers.

Energy: Social Tariffs

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if her Department will publish a consultation on a social energy tariff ahead of the Autumn Statement.

Amanda Solloway: As set out in the 2022 autumn statement, we are exploring the best approach to consumer protection, as part of wider retail market reforms. The Government continues to monitor the situation and will keep options under review.

Wales Office

Railways: Wales

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on supporting narrow gauge railway tourism in Wales.

Dr James Davies: Narrow gauge railways, like Rhyl Miniature Railway, are an important aspect of our tourism sector and it is vital they are supported. Although tourism is devolved in Wales, the UK Government invested approximately £18 million in funding during COVID to over 60 heritage steam organisations through the Culture Recovery Fund.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Cats: Animal Breeding

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to bring forward cat breeding regulations similar to those in Scotland.

Trudy Harrison: Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations), anyone in the business of breeding and selling cats as pets needs to have a valid licence issued by their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse, vary or revoke licences. Defra has been working on a post-implementation review of the Regulations in line with the requirements of the Regulations’ review clause. This review considers whether the Regulations have met their objectives, and where there could be scope to further improve the protections they provide to breeding cats and their offspring. The review will be published soon.

Beetles: Non-native Species

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the dates on which her Department has identified the UK presence of the Colorado beetle since January 2021.

Mark Spencer: Since January 2021, Colorado Beetle has been detected in the UK on the following occasions: 15/06/21– Single adult beetle in a domestic garden in Leicestershire, assessed as a transient finding with no evidence of breeding/populations.19/10/21– Single adult beetle on carrots in a local produce market, assessed as a transient finding with no evidence of breeding/populations.11/07/23 – Larvae in a potato field in Kent.14/07/23 - Single adult beetle in a domestic garden in Hampshire, assessed as a transient finding with no evidence of breeding/populations.11/08/23 - Single adult beetle within 1km of the potato field in Kent, no evidence of breeding/populations, but included as part of the eradication programme for the 11/07/23 finding.

Dangerous Dogs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where her Department plans to keep seized XL Bully dogs.

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to (a) monitor and (b) restrict as necessary fur imports from European countries, in the context of outbreaks of avian flu in Europe.

Trudy Harrison: While fur cannot be farmed in this country, and some fur from particular species is prohibited from import and sale, it is still possible to import and sell other types of fur from abroad. It is also possible to re-export fur and fur products that have been imported. We have committed to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, and have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector. We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade. However, currently we are not seeking to restrict fur imports based on avian influenza.